Retrospective training topic · September 2026. Practise the method with a fictional worked example, then test your reasoning in the linked dossier.
A suspicious video should first be treated as an unverified claim. Establish where the available copies came from, what changed between them and which conclusions the records can actually support. A convincing caption is not a provenance record.
A practical method
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Preserve the full item and its context. Record the source page, collection time and whether the item is a crop, re-encode or longer version. A screenshot of a caption cannot substitute for the original media.
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Separate authenticity from context. A real frame can be paired with a false date or misleading description. Compare the full sequence before asking whether the underlying imagery was generated or altered.
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Write the smallest supported conclusion. Identify what the evidence contradicts, what it corroborates and what still requires an authenticated source export.
Worked example
Consider a training clip posted as an accident. A longer copy contains an opening slate saying “exercise”, while the circulating crop starts after that slate. The crop can mislead without containing generated imagery. The useful finding is that the caption omits documented context; a claim about the creator’s intent would need more evidence.
What this cannot establish
A limited collection cannot prove the first upload across every platform. A media comparison does not by itself authenticate uploader identity.
Your analyst checklist
- Preserve the original record and its provenance.
- Separate observed facts from interpretations and missing information.
- Test at least one competing explanation against the same evidence.
- Record the source and limitation beside each conclusion.
- State what additional record could change the assessment.
Practise with a fictional dossier
Operation Mirror Relay: Trace the Repost Cascade develops source provenance and timestamp normalisation. Read six synthetic evidence records, test five short-answer objectives and use progressive hints if needed. The article explains the method without giving the case’s graded answers.
Open the related case · Explore the Case Vault
Frequently asked questions
Does an unusual frame prove a deepfake?
No. It is a reason to investigate, not a conclusion about how the item was produced.
Is the earliest copy the original?
It is the earliest copy in your documented collection. Describe that scope explicitly.
Should I contact the depicted person?
These exercises use fictional records. No real-person contact is needed to practise the method.