Home | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
A toolkit for open source researchers
Our new and improved Bellingcat Toolkit is one-year-old today! If you haven't used it yet its a one-stop shop for discovering useful open source tools, maintained by an amazing group of volunteers. You can find use cases, guidance and honest reviews for each tool. bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit
24.09.2025 12:13 β π 150 π 69 π¬ 5 π 4
what3words | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
A proprietary geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. The identifier is a unique combination of three words, available in 60 languagues.
What3words is a geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. You donβt need to use it yourself but open source researchers should be aware of its existence. Learn more in @bellingcat.com's Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more...
29.07.2025 17:55 β π 5 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Navtex | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
A historical database providing vital navigational and meteorological warnings, forecasts, and urgent maritime safety information to ships.
Do you already know Navtex? Itβs a historical database providing warnings and maritime safety information to ships. It can also be useful for open source researchers. Learn more about the site in @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit:
bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more...
22.07.2025 14:10 β π 6 π 1 π¬ 0 π 1
gijn.org
E-Book: Reporterβs Guide to Investigating Fossil Fuels
βΌοΈ New from GIJN: A free e-book Guide to Investigating the Fossil Fuels β packed with tools, data sources, and expert tips.
A must-have for journalists covering climate, energy, and corporate accountability.
π Download here: https://twp.ai/9PU7zi
26.06.2025 18:30 β π 4 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
Search4Faces | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Upload the picture of a face and find pictures of similar looking people on VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, TikTok and Clubhouse.
Search4Faces lets you upload a photo of a face and search for visually similar faces. It scans photos from VK, Odnoklassniki, and TikTok. β οΈ The tool provider' identity is unknown. Learn more about the tool in @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more...
24.06.2025 15:16 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
ShipFinder | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
ShipFinder is an application designed to track vessels in near real-time across the globe.
Would you like to learn how to track ships? Discover how to use ShipFinder: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more.... We also compare ShipFinder to other ship tracking sites, helping you choose the best tool for your research #OpenSourceResearch
12.06.2025 14:23 β π 0 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Tencent Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Tencent Maps is a mapping service provided by the Chinese technology company Tencent. Tencent Maps provides maps, satellite imagery, and street view.
If you are interested in researching China-related topics, consider exploring Tencent Maps. Learn how to use this Chinese mapping service (also from outside of China) in @bellingcat.com βs Online Investigation Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... #OpenSourceResearch
05.06.2025 15:59 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
EU Sanctions Map | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Database of sanctions imposed by the European Union
The EU has imposed sanctions on a range of countries and individuals. Open source researchers can use the EU Sanctions Map to find out who is affected. Learn more about the site in @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... #OpenSourceResearch
04.06.2025 09:51 β π 39 π 14 π¬ 1 π 1
Check out Bulletpicker - an online database with technical manuals, schematics, and detailed guidebooks of ordnance and explosive items from various armed forces around the world. More in @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit by @afko.bsky.social: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more...
03.06.2025 12:32 β π 68 π 16 π¬ 2 π 1
This month, the Bellingcat Open Source Challenge dives into the world of art, history and illicit trade. Can you spot the telltale signs of stolen cultural artifacts and trace who handled them in the past? Give this monthβs Bellingcat Challenge a try! Challenge.bellingcat.com
02.06.2025 12:25 β π 105 π 23 π¬ 5 π 4
IJF Open Source Research Panels
A list of Open Source Research related panels from the International Journalism Festival in Perugia (in English and only if a recording is available) 2025 Sam Cole, Kolina Koltai, Charlotte Maher...
From researching on Telegram to analyzing satellite imagery, the @journalismfestival.com offers free online recordings from past events. I have compiled a list of sessions that focus on, or are related to, open source research methods: t1p.de/mod4u. #OpenSourceResearch
30.05.2025 08:26 β π 19 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
Merlin | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Identify birds (visually), through an app.
Identifying birds that are visible in photos or audible in audio or video recordings can sometimes provide important clues when doing geolocations. Learn more about the bird identification tool Merlin in @bellingcat.com's Open Source Investigation Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more...
27.05.2025 09:24 β π 114 π 24 π¬ 1 π 2
Gaode Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Gaode Maps (also known as AMap) is a mapping application and technology from the Chinese company Alibaba.
China provides several map services that can be useful for open source researchers. Gaode Maps is one of them. Conveniently, it is also accessible to people based outside of China. Have a look at @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit to learn more: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more...
26.05.2025 16:24 β π 48 π 13 π¬ 0 π 1
Gaode Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Gaode Maps (also known as AMap) is a mapping application and technology from the Chinese company Alibaba.
China provides several map services that can be useful for open source researchers. Gaode Maps is one of them. Conveniently, it is also accessible to people based outside of China. Have a look at @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit to learn more: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more...
26.05.2025 16:23 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Baidu Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
A mapping application provided by Chinese technology company Baidu Inc.
Baidu Maps is one of those tools everyone has heard of, but few open source researchers actually know how to use. Learn more about Baidu Maps in @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... #OpenSourceResearch
21.05.2025 13:16 β π 25 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
MapChecking | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
This tool helps you estimate and fact-check the maximum number of people standing in a given area.
Did you ever struggle to estimate the number of people in a crowd? MapChecking can help with this task. Learn more about the tool in @bellingcat.com's Online Investigation Toolkit by @afko.bsky.social: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... #OpenSourceResearch
19.05.2025 15:37 β π 5 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Welcome to @quiztime.bsky.social with today's #ThursdayQuiz
π Can you find out where this photo was taken?
π Reply just to me with your answer
π£οΈ Reply further in this threa to collaborate
15.05.2025 14:52 β π 4 π 8 π¬ 2 π 0
PimEyes | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
An AI-powered facial recognition reverse image search tool.
PimEyes allows users to upload photos of faces in order to search the internet for pictures of people who look similar. Learn more about the tool in Bellingcatβs Online Investigation Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... by @anisashabir.bsky.social #OpenSourceResearch
13.05.2025 17:54 β π 3 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Release v1.0.0 Β· bellingcat/auto-archiver
π Auto Archiver v1.0.0
We're excited to announce a major stable release of the Auto Archiver tool!
This release comes with some major improvements in stability and flexibility, with a modular and e...
Auto Archiver v1.0.0 is out π
Now with documentation, guides, tests, and new exciting features.
A big thanks to @erinhmclark.bsky.social and Patrick Robertson who went out of their way to improve the quality and reliability of the tool.
See what changed here: github.com/bellingcat/a...
31.03.2025 15:46 β π 38 π 15 π¬ 2 π 2
Leak-Lookup | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
An online tool that allows you to search across public data breaches to surface credentials that may have been compromised.
Leak-Lookup allows open source researchers to search across data breaches. Have a look at Bellingcatβs Online Investigation Toolkit to learn more about this tool: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... #OpenSourceResearch
27.03.2025 13:55 β π 5 π 3 π¬ 1 π 0
How to Spot AI-Generated Scam Products
It's harder than before to tell whatβs real and whatβs fake, but if you look closely there are often tell-tale signs.
Itβs already hard to judge whether products you buy online will be the right size or not, but what if the product doesnβt even exist? @koltai.bsky.social helps you to distinguish between real and AI-generated products online. www.bellingcat.com/resources/20...
25.03.2025 13:15 β π 455 π 184 π¬ 15 π 21
Bluesky Insights | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Bluesky Insights is a free web-based analytics tool for the Bluesky social network.
The tool "Bluesky Insights" provides information on Bluesky accounts including favourite topics, preferred posting times or best performing posts. @cargocultscientist.bsky.social tested the tool by using @bellingcat.com as an example:
bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... #OpenSourceResearch
20.03.2025 14:39 β π 3 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
Atlos | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
ATLOS is a platform for collaborative and large-scale open source investigations.
Atlos is a platform that allows open source researchers to collaborate on large scale investigations. Learn more about Atlos in @stephanieladel.bsky.social's contribution to @bellingcat.com' Online Investigation Toolkit: bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... #OpenSourceResearch
18.03.2025 14:31 β π 55 π 13 π¬ 1 π 0
Meta Content Library | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit
Meta Content Library provides approved researchers with access to public Facebook, Instagram, and Threads content with search, filtering, and engagement metrics.
The Meta Content Library allows approved researchers to analyse public Facebook and Instagram posts. Open source researchers who are working for universities and nonprofits might be eligible to apply for access.
bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more... by @cargocultscientist.bsky.social
13.03.2025 14:57 β π 1 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
GitBook
GitBook
License plates can be a crucial piece of information for geolocations. Check out our new comparison of top license plate information sites: app.gitbook.com/o/WQpOq5ZFue... #OpenSourceResearch #Geolocation #LicensePlates
06.03.2025 15:28 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Guide to Investigating Fossil Fuels
This guide provides watchdog journalists with key context and practical advice to enable better investigations of the fossil fuel industry.
π Fossil fuel investigations are critical to understanding the global climate crisis.
Get the tools and resources you need to hold the industry accountable with GIJN's free guide: https://twp.ai/1UMmOj
05.03.2025 07:23 β π 5 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Tech reporter at NBC News. Based in San Francisco. Read my latest work here: https://www.nbcnews.com/author/david-ingram-ncpn890161
On Signal: davidingram.77
Research Lead at Bellingcat
Visual Investigations
Former Open Source Analyst with BBCAfricaEye.
Journalistin | berichtet ΓΌber Desinformation | Verifikation fΓΌr ORF defacto | davor Ressortleiterin AFP Faktencheck
news researcher doing OSINT things and more at @washingtonpost.com. signal: aaronschaffer.01 https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/aaron-schaffer/
space, politics, forensics | spatial investigations @nytimes | previously @situ_research
boraerden.info
Londoner. CBRN expert, particularly nerve agents. Freeman of the City of London. Liveryman. "Legal Juggernaut". Anglican. Ex Verger. Author. Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Scourge of llamas. Former US Army. Former USSS. #NAFO Fella
Open Source Investigative Reporter. I write about extremism, disinfo, corruption & environment. Formerly teaching OSINT at UC Berkeley. Mexicana. Polyglot. Nerd. More at www.giselaperezdeacha.com
Writer. New Yorker. Critical/independent tech this & that. Advisory Board, @georgetownprivacy.bsky.social. Formers: BKC Harvard, Data & Society, Creative Time, International Center for Transitional Justice
π΅οΈ Investigative Reporter at Swiss Public Broadcast SRF.
π Data, OSINT, Privacy, Big Tech, Cyber, Surveillance Capitalism, Climate.
βοΈ jnsmd@proton.me | signal: jnsmd.02 | Threema: MAW8N8JD
π https://srf.ch/data
π https://julianschmidli.com/en/ddj
Digital investigator & observer. Human rights | maritime & environmental issues | conflict & arms.
Unihemispheric slow-wave sleeper. Orophile. Gscheid & tΓΌchtig.
In the good ol' Twitter days known as @bibken.
I work on digital methods in journalism | #OSINT and digital forensics researcher at DER SPIEGEL Dokumentation
Move slow and fix things. Digital Rights Cat @apti.ro. Senior Dev @ darc.li. Open-Source Dev, Human Rights Advocacy.β¨β¨ Queer, RA π³οΈβπ
Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit
Hosted by Tina Brown, Reuters and Durham University
Livestream 7 May 2025 | London
sirharrysummit.org
Data scientist and researcher, using open sources to expose far-right networks
Bylines @bellingcat.com @texasobserver.org
Deputy head of digital investigation for Europe at Agence France-Presse, based in London.
Journaliste - Les Observateurs, France 24
Digital Investigation, #OSINT.
Aussi Info/Intox
Heritage crime investigations, underwater explorer, unreliable narrator, future ghost
Covering diplomacy for NPR
Journalist | @DFRLab Researcher | Trainer | Assessor @IFCN & @EFCSN
#OSINT #disinformation #DigitalSherlocks