top of page
Search

Social media as an OSINT tool in modern military conflicts

  • Writer: Beth Martin-Board
    Beth Martin-Board
  • Apr 16
  • 2 min read

In today’s fast-shifting geopolitical landscape, social media platforms have emerged as critical tools in the Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) arsenal. Nowhere is this more evident than in contemporary military conflicts, where platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, and TikTok offer near-instant access to ground-level developments.


The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, for example, has underscored how digital platforms can shed light on everything from troop movements and drone strikes to civilian displacement and emerging narratives. Researchers and analysts have used geotagged media, user-generated video, and digital metadata to track conflict dynamics with a level of granularity that was unthinkable just a decade ago. A 2023 report by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) noted that Telegram channels linked to both Israeli and Hezbollah sources have become primary outlets for tactical updates and propaganda, blurring the lines between raw intelligence and narrative warfare.


Unlike traditional media, which relies on editorial gatekeeping, social media offers raw, unfiltered glimpses into unfolding events. This democratized flow of information has accelerated the speed at which analysts can generate insights, particularly when supported by geolocation tools and AI-based image verification techniques. For instance, organisations like Bellingcat have pioneered methods to geolocate bombings and verify war crimes using publicly available videos and satellite imagery. However, the same features that make social media a powerful intelligence tool also make it perilous. The velocity of disinformation—whether state-sponsored, ideologically motivated, or algorithmically amplified—can distort reality. During the early stages of the 2023 Israel-Gaza escalation, BBC Verify found that viral videos from unrelated conflicts (including the Syrian civil war and even gaming footage) were widely misattributed, causing confusion among observers and policymakers alike.


This makes cross-verification not just recommended, but essential. Analysts must triangulate information using multiple sources, vet metadata, and remain alert to coordinated influence operations. Organisations such as EU DisinfoLab have highlighted how militaries and militias increasingly employ botnets and deepfakes to manipulate public perception during conflict.


At the intersection of war and technology, OSINT derived from social media is a double-edged sword. It offers unprecedented visibility into fast-evolving conflict zones, but without rigorous analytical frameworks, it can also become a conduit for manipulation. As geopolitical risk consultants, we must balance speed with scepticism—ensuring that intelligence serves to clarify, not distort, the truth.



SOURCES:



By Beth Martin-Board 

 
 
 

תגובות

bottom of page