playbooks / video-verification

Video → verify origin and authenticity

Archive a video, find its earliest upload, check whether it's recycled from an older event, and set up geolocation.

start: ▶ videoyields: file / doc, url, image, username, locationlevel: intermediate

1. 01

   Preserve it first

   Videos get deleted fast. Download the original at the highest quality, with metadata and comments, before anything else.

   • yt-dlpfreeossclidetails
   • Bellingcat Auto Archiverfreeactiveossclidetails

   → can yield: ▧File / Doc

2. 02

   Extract keyframes and reverse search

   Pull distinctive keyframes and reverse search them across engines. Viral "breaking news" footage is often years old or from another country entirely.

   • InVID-WeVerify Pluginfreeacct optionalextensiondetails
   • Google Lensfreemobiledetails
   • Yandex Imagesfreedetails
   • TinEyefreemiumacct optionalapiextensiondetails

   → can yield: ⇗URL ▣Image

3. 03

   Find the earliest upload

   Check exact upload timestamps and search for re-uploads. The earliest copy usually leads to the original filmer.

   • YouTube Metadatafreeossdetails
   • Filmotfreemiumacct optionaldetails
   • X Advanced Searchfreeacct reqdetails

   → can yield: @Username ⇗URL

4. 04

   Hand off to geolocation

   Treat the clearest frames as photos and run the image geolocation playbook. Sun position in the frame can also confirm or rule out the claimed time.

   • SunCalcfreedetails
   • Google Earthfreedesktopmobiledetails

   → can yield: ⊕Location