Google Maps is a treasure trove of knowledge for open supply researchers. Bellingcat regularly makes use of the platform’s satellite tv for pc imagery and road view in investigations, and user-written evaluations and user-uploaded pictures have additionally been helpful in figuring out folks and locations.
One element that we regularly don’t take into consideration when viewing a picture on Google Maps is its filename, which might present helpful contextual clues.
When a person uploads a picture to Google Maps, it routinely will get tagged to a location. This could be a standalone picture of a website, or a picture linked to a overview of a spot. Anybody on the web can view the picture, however the filename shouldn’t be seen by default.
That’s the place the Bellingcat Filename Finder can assist. It’s a browser extension for Google Chrome that runs within the background and grabs the filename from the information that Google Maps sends to your browser, then it shows the filename over the picture in an unobtrusive black field.
After putting in the extension, while you come throughout pictures on Google Maps in your Chrome browser, the filename for every picture ought to routinely seem on the highest left as proven within the instance beneath.
Discovering Out When Photographs Had been Taken
In the event you use an iPhone, you may be used to photographs known as issues like ‘IMG_8928.jpg’. That’s simply the “IMG” prefix adopted by a quantity that goes up by 1 for each photograph you are taking. This format isn’t very descriptive or useful for an open supply researcher.
However, should you use an Android cellphone, you may be extra aware of filenames that embrace the date and time that the picture was taken:
- PXL_20240830_150806479.jpg
- IMG20240830150806.jpg
- IMG_20240830_150806.jpg
- 20240830_150806.jpg
These filenames may very well be helpful for researchers making an attempt to chronolocate pictures or set up a sequence of occasions at a location. Filenames may present hints to the kind of machine used – the primary instance above beginning “PXL” signifies that the photograph was taken on a Google Pixel machine. The date format signifies it was taken on the Aug. 30, 2024.
Not all of the filenames proven by the Filename Finder will match the picture’s unique filename. For some pictures, plainly Google adjustments the filename to the add date, i.e. “2024-08-30.jpg”. Watch out when utilizing filenames matching this format, as they most likely check with the picture’s add date as a substitute of the picture’s creation date.
Different Potential Clues
Timestamps are usually the commonest data you may extract from picture filenames, however this device may assist receive different clues – particularly when pictures have been renamed earlier than they’re uploaded to Google Maps, as a current Bellingcat investigation demonstrates.
Whereas investigating suspected hyperlinks between an organization known as CasinoMentor and an “AI artwork” era web site known as OpenDream, we discovered a Google Maps itemizing for CasinoMentor in Malta, which included the next photograph uploaded by the corporate.
A reverse picture search confirmed that the picture was taken in Vietnam, the place we additionally suspected OpenDream’s founders have been based mostly.
To raised perceive the context behind this photograph we checked the picture filename. This filename turned out to be “CMTeam.jpg”, implying that it confirmed the CasinoMentor crew, and as we discovered with our geolocation, the crew have been in Vietnam regardless of the corporate’s tackle in Malta.
Learn extra about this investigation right here.
The Bellingcat Filename Finder was impressed by analysis by Kolina Koltai.
Featured picture: Graphic by Galen Reich.
Bellingcat is a non-profit and the flexibility to hold out our work depends on the sort assist of particular person donors. If you want to assist our work, you are able to do so right here. You can too subscribe to our Patreon channel right here. Subscribe to our Publication and comply with us on Twitter right here and Mastodon right here.
