June 2025 OSINT Update: Veo 3 misuse, Google’s ClaimReview fallout and archiving innovations

Hyderabad: Last month, I wrote about Google’s Veo 3 and the concerns around how realistic AI‑generated videos could be misused to spread disinformation. This month, we’re already seeing that play out.

As tensions between Israel and Iran escalated in June, social media platforms were flooded with AI‑generated visuals purporting to show real‑world events from the conflict.

One of the most widely circulated examples featured a soldier covered in ash, crying and pleading for peace, framed as an emotional reaction from an Israeli officer after an Iranian missile attack. But it wasn’t real. Fact‑checkers confirmed it had been created using Veo 3, Google’s latest AI video tool. The clip bore subtle glitches, and in some versions, faint remnants of a watermark revealed its synthetic origins.

Several other instances of AI‑generated images and videos surfaced, claiming to depict missile attacks in both Israel and Iran.

The use of AI‑generated content in this conflict is more than a technical curiosity. It marks a serious shift in how narratives are shaped during war. With tools like Veo 3 now publicly available, we’re entering an era where disinformation isn’t just manipulated, it’s wholly fabricated, and it’s happening in real time.

Tool Watch

Google discontinues ClaimReview rich results

Google has deprecated support for the ClaimReview structured data type in Search, ending the display of fact-check snippets as enhanced search results. While fact-checking outlets can continue to use the ClaimReview markup, for instance, to ensure visibility on platforms like Google’s Fact Check Explorer, it will no longer generate rich results within Google Search itself. The update, which came into effect in June 2025, is part of a broader shift in how Google is rethinking the visibility of certain content types, including fact-checks, in its search interface.

For many in the fact-checking ecosystem, including us, this change raises important questions.

We don’t yet know to what extent ClaimReview snippets contributed to our page views or search visibility, and Google hasn’t shared any public metrics on their performance. However, it’s reasonable to assume that removing these snippets may reduce surface-level exposure to fact-checks, especially for users who previously encountered them directly in search results. The practical impact may be uneven—sites with strong direct traffic or distribution via social media may feel less of a hit, while those more dependent on search-based discovery could see a dip. Either way, it underscores the need to diversify how fact-checks reach audiences, especially as platforms reshape how credibility signals are surfaced.

Duck.ai - A private AI assistant for sensitive OSINT work

Duck.ai from DuckDuckGo is an AI assistant built with privacy in mind, an increasingly vital concern for OSINT researchers. Unlike most AI platforms, it doesn’t require a login, and chat history is stored only within the browser session. Once the tab is closed, the conversation is deleted. Importantly, prompts and responses aren’t used to train the underlying models. Users can switch between AI models, and the tool is accessible directly via a browser, with no setup or downloads required.

While not designed exclusively for OSINT, its privacy‑first approach makes it a compelling option for researchers dealing with sensitive queries or investigations that require strong operational security.

Available at duck.ai.

Room101’s OSINT Tools Directory

Journalist Ben H recently shared Room101’s OSINT tools page on LinkedIn, an efficient, stripped‑down directory that brings together a range of open‑source investigation resources. From Reddit username searches and email tracing to domain intelligence, breach databases and social media lookups, it’s a practical and well‑organised hub for digital sleuthing. Its simplicity and lack of a sign‑in wall make it ideal for journalists and researchers who regularly navigate between platforms and tools when time is of the essence.

Esuit - media and comment extraction from social platforms

Esuit.dev is a browser extension that allows users to extract not only images and videos from platforms like Instagram and Facebook, but also associated comments, a feature especially valuable for OSINT professionals tracking narratives or capturing engagement. The tool can bulk‑download public media, including reels, albums and tagged posts, making it ideal for preserving posts in context before they’re deleted, edited, or made private.

That said, only a limited number of free attempts are available, and access beyond that point requires an upgrade. The interface is smooth and the extraction process is generally reliable, although occasional hiccups occur due to platform rate limits, and access to private or restricted content still requires a manual login.

The extension can be accessed here- https://esuit.dev/

Preserving the web - Stanford Lab tackles link rot with affordable archiving tools

Journalists and researchers have long grappled with the challenge of link rot, the phenomenon where crucial online evidence disappears over time. The team at Stanford’s Starling Lab is tackling this issue head‑on by developing an accessible, low‑cost archiving tool designed to preserve digital records before they vanish.

Their approach focuses on making the archiving process both reliable and affordable, allowing reporters and researchers to save, verify and revisit online information long after it has been taken down or altered. This initiative emerged from the growing need for trustworthy ways to document the digital trail that forms the backbone of accountability and fact‑checking.

As stories evolve and websites disappear, journalists often struggle to maintain a verifiable record of their sources. Starling Lab aims to fill that gap, providing a solution that empowers researchers, journalists and fact‑checkers to preserve critical information and cite it with confidence, regardless of its future availability online.

More details are available here.

Resource Spotlight

GIJN’s Practical Guide for Investigative Journalists

The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), in collaboration with iMEdD’s Ideas Zone, has published a comprehensive guide for investigative journalists. Covering everything from fact‑checking and digital security to interview techniques and editing workflows, it’s a highly practical resource that blends foundational skills with current best practices.

More information is available here.

A worthwhile reference, especially for those mentoring junior reporters or building internal newsroom training programmes.

See you next month,

Dheeshma