Tools are one input, not a verdict
Each tool below sharpens one part of alignment. Use them to gather evidence, then reason — a single score, label, or marker never settles the question on its own.
Reverse image & origin tracing
Alignment asks whether a claim shows up independently. Start by tracing the media itself across the web to see where else — and when — it appears.
Google Lens
Reverse-search to surface independent appearances of the same image across different sites and dates.
TinEye
Sort results by oldest to establish the earliest source and spot recycled content.
Bing Visual Search
A second reverse-image index — different coverage from Google, useful for cross-checking.
Yandex Images
Third index with strong coverage of non-English and Eastern European sources — run when Google returns nothing.
Cross-checking & fact-checks
Look for independent corroboration from sources that don't share the same stake in the story. If only the original post carries a claim, that isolation is itself a signal.
Google Fact Check Explorer
Search a claim across published fact-checks from independent organizations worldwide.
Coverage is uneven; no result means 'not yet checked', not 'true'.
Snopes
Search long-running investigations of viral claims and recurring hoaxes.
Full Fact
Independent UK fact-checker — strong on viral European claims and recurring misinformation patterns.
Reuters Fact Check
Wire-service fact-checks with sourcing you can follow back to primary evidence.
AP Fact Check
Associated Press investigations of viral claims, political statements, and manipulated media.
PolitiFact
Fact-checks of political claims and viral statements, with transparent rating methodology.
Hoaxy
Visualize how a claim spreads across social networks — useful when assessing whether corroboration exists only inside one bubble.
Twitter/X data coverage has declined; still useful for historical spread patterns.
Ground News
Compare how a story is covered across outlets on the political spectrum — surfaces whether independent reporting exists at all.
Some features require an account; use the free coverage comparison where available.
Geolocation & scene verification
When a post claims a specific place or time, check whether the scene actually matches by corroborating it against independent map and imagery sources.
Google Maps / Earth
Compare landmarks, signage, and layout in the footage against street-level and satellite imagery.
SunCalc
Check whether sun position and shadow direction in a photo or video match the claimed date, time, and location.
Requires identifiable shadows and a known location — not applicable to every scene.
InVID / WeVerify
Extract keyframes and metadata to corroborate when and where a video was likely captured.
Bellingcat Online Investigation Toolkit
Curated index of OSINT tools and techniques for geolocation, metadata, and social media verification.
Meet the Amito toolkit
Most verification tools handle only one part of the STOP&SCAN framework — and many aren't free to use. Our program's technical cohort has been building Amito, the AI Media Integrity Toolkit: a conversational bot that turns the framework into an evolving, interactive toolkit you can chat with.
Start a chat with the Amito bot on Telegram.
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@AMITOAIBOT