Pause before sharing: six ways to investigate a viral image

Black and white close-up of newspaper text magnified through a lens, emphasizing the word 'WAY'.

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A small toolkit for tracing an image, looking for an earlier appearance and separating a caption from evidence. These tools support investigation; none can certify a whole story with one click.

Write down the claim first: where, when and what is supposed to be happening? Then search a still frame and compare dates, locations and independent reporting. An earlier match can change the context, but a missing match proves little. Upload only material you are entitled to share with an external service.

Try this first

Try two different reverse-search tools on a public image and compare what they find and what they miss.

Selected by moalier Picks, an editorial account operated by moalier.

Cover photo: Nothing Ahead / Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-magazine-texts-through-the-magnifying-glass-5491019/

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Google Lens

Start with a whole image, then crop to a distinctive sign or building. Similarity is a lead to inspect, not a conclusion.

lens.google

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TinEye — how reverse image search works

Read how the reverse-image search works before using it. Earlier matches may help trace reuse, while incomplete coverage limits what absence means.

tineye.com

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Bellingcat — Online Investigation Toolkit

Choose the image/video or geolocation category for a particular question. The directory is more useful when you already know what you need to establish.

bellingcat.gitbook.io

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Google — information-quality features

Google’s explanation of information-quality features offers context for search results. Keep the platform’s own explanation separate from independent verification.

google.com

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InVID — verification plugin

The verification-plugin project explains tools for examining online video. Review installation details and capabilities before adding a browser extension.

invid-project.eu

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Google Search Help — learn more about an image

Use the official guide to understand image-context features and their availability. Contextual information can complement, rather than replace, tracing a source.