Social Media Investigation
Austin-Based, Available Nationwide
What a person has chosen to share publicly can answer questions that records alone cannot. A social media investigation is the systematic collection and analysis of a person's visible online activity, assembled into a picture of their digital footprint. We combine open-source research with the investigative databases available to licensed investigators. None of it requires being physically present, so we handle these investigations for clients anywhere in the country.
People come to us to check whether someone's online activity matches what they have said, to look into a person before a relationship or a business arrangement goes further, or to corroborate findings from another line of investigation.
What we look for
Depending on the person and what they have made public, findings may include which platforms they are active on and the profiles themselves, photographs and video they have posted, the connections and followers visible on those accounts, aliases and alternate usernames, public comments and interactions, historic activity and how recently an account was used. What we can see is limited to what the person has left open. Someone with locked accounts and a small footprint will produce little information.
How we find it
Investigative databases we are licensed to access tie names to email addresses, usernames, and phone numbers. These can used to find associated social media accounts. Open-source intelligence tools can also be used to find associated SM accounts as well as identify other usernames, emails and phone numbers used by the subject, which can increase the number of social media accounts found. Reverse image searching can connect a photograph to profiles
What we will not do
We work with publicly available information, lawful open-source methods, and databases we are licensed to use. We do not access private accounts, we do not send fake friend or connection requests to get behind someone's privacy settings, and we do not use deception to reach material a person has chosen to keep closed. That is a matter of ethics, and it is also practical. Information gathered improperly is unreliable, and its presence can undermine the credibility of everything else in the report.
What you receive
A written report of the relevant findings, organized rather than dumped, with the source of each and context on what it appears to show. Where something is ambiguous or where we could not confirm an account belongs to your subject, the report says so.
A social media investigation records what was visible at the time we looked. Accounts change, posts are deleted, and privacy settings are tightened, so the report is a snapshot rather than a permanent account. Turnaround is generally within five days, and afterwards you can call a real person and talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
What can a social media investigation reveal?
From public activity: which platforms a person uses, what they have posted, who they are publicly connected to, aliases and alternate usernames, how recently accounts have been active, and whether their online behaviour matches what they have told you.
Do you access private accounts or messages?
No. We work with publicly available information, lawful open-source methods, and investigative databases we are licensed to access. We do not hack accounts, send fake friend requests, or use deception to get behind someone's privacy settings.
What do you need from me?
A name, and any identifying detail that helps confirm we are researching the right person. A photograph, an email address, a phone number, a city, or a known username all make the work faster and more accurate.
Can you find accounts someone has tried to keep concealed?
Sometimes. People tend to reuse usernames and photographs across platforms, so an account under a different name can often be connected back through a reverse image search or a matching handle. Someone who has been careful about it may not be findable this way.
What if the person has almost no online presence?
Then the report will be short and will say so. A thin footprint is itself a finding, but it is not evidence of anything in particular, and we will not stretch it into a conclusion.
Will the person know I had them looked into?
No. The research draws on publicly visible information. We do not contact the person, follow or friend their accounts, or interact with their posts.
How long does it take?
Generally within five days.
Ready to Get Answers?
Tell us what you need to know. The consultation is free and confidential, and no work begins until you have a written agreement setting out the scope and the cost.
Licensed & insured · TX DPS A12693401