This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:15:05
Ben's tutorial, "Conducting Open-Source Investigations from Home," part 20, focuses on utilizing reverse image search tools for investigative journalism and research. He demonstrates using Google, Yandex, Tineye, BYU, Bing, Getty Images, and Shutterstock to determine the origins and context of images. Highlighted examples include a satellite image from the Daily Mail and an artificially generated face linked to disinformation campaigns. Ben showcases the unique functionalities of each platform, such as Yandex's superior facial recognition and Google Lens's versatility, while discussing their effectiveness in different contexts. He emphasizes the importance of these tools in verifying image authenticity and encourages viewers to contribute their experiences and preferences.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, Ben introduces part 20 of his series on conducting open-source investigations from home. The tutorial focuses on using image reverse search tools to explore the origins, occurrences, and context of images, useful for investigative journalists, researchers, and enthusiasts. Ben uses two examples: a satellite image from the Daily Mail and an artificially generated face from a disinformation campaign on his Twitter account in 2020. He demonstrates how to use Google image reverse search by uploading a screenshot of the satellite image and explains the results, which include links back to the original Daily Mail article and an image from NASA.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the process of using various tools to perform reverse image searches. They start by explaining how an image resembling Lake NEOS in Cameroon can be analyzed using Google Lens, which helps find multiple copies and sources of the image across different platforms like the Daily Mail. The speaker then demonstrates similar functionalities on other platforms such as Yandex and Tineye, highlighting how Yandex provides results in Russian and links to Russian websites. They also note that Yandex brings up many similar images of other bodies of water. Lastly, the speaker mentions Microsoft Bing as another competitor offering reverse image search capabilities.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses various image reverse search tools and their functionalities. They compare popular search engines like Google, Yandex, and Bing, highlighting how they allow users to upload images to find related content. Bing and Yandex additionally offer a cropping feature to search within an image. The speaker then introduces BYU, a Chinese search engine that yields different results from Google and Yandex, particularly useful for accessing content from China in different languages. They also talk about stock image platforms like Getty Images and Shutterstock, explaining how these can be used for similar searches, including satellite and aerial imagery. Alami is mentioned as another stock photo provider that functions like Google and Yandex. The speaker notes the varying usefulness of these tools in different contexts.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses various image search tools and their effectiveness in different contexts. They typically start with Google Lens and Yandex, making choices based on the research subject. For instance, they use BYO when focusing on topics related to China due to its relevance in providing stock images used by news outlets. They explain the process of reverse searching images to gain additional context such as location and capture time.
The speaker then illustrates this with an example, using an artificially generated face from the platform “This Person Does Not Exist.” They compare the results of reverse searching this image on Google and Yandex. On Google, the image search yields limited results, primarily pointing to an article they wrote in 2020. In contrast, Yandex provides multiple links, including Twitter and other sites, and displays more varied yet relevant similar images. They highlight that Yandex’s facial recognition system is superior, offering more diversity in the results, which can be particularly useful for identifying artificially generated faces.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses a suspicious image that seems to be artificially generated, presenting various anomalies such as mismatched text, long hairs, and oddly shaped ears. The image purportedly depicts a 40-year-old from Kazakhstan on a dating site, and the discussion extends to numerous other potentially artificial images found through reverse image searches on platforms like Yandex. The speaker also compares results from different reverse search tools, highlighting differences in image recommendations by Yandex, BYO, and Google. In concluding the tutorial, the speaker emphasizes the importance of these tools for researchers in verifying image authenticity and uncovering details. Viewers are encouraged to leave comments about their favorite tools or share how they have used these tools in their own research.