Tools
Projects I have built and published, and a curated selection of tools I use in my investigation and training work. Everything listed here is something I have actually used in practice.
My projects
Open source projects available on GitHub. Free to use, fork, and adapt. Feedback and contributions welcome.
Tool recommendations
A curated, opinionated list. Not exhaustive. Organised by use case, with accessibility in mind. Most are free or open source.
Note on scope
More technical tools used in research and investigations are not listed here. This page is aimed at journalists, trainers, and digital security practitioners.
My projects
Public projects available on GitHub. Some are standalone tools, others are themes or experimental apps. All free to use.
Meta Monetization Tool
A public dashboard to explore and analyse data from Meta's monetization archives. Makes platform accountability accessible to anyone without technical skills.
Cartas a Desconocidos
A web application to facilitate handwritten letter exchange between strangers. A slow internet project: intentional, analogue, human.
Pulso Digital
A clean, minimal Ghost theme built for newsletters. Originally designed for Vector Crítico and now free for anyone to use and adapt.
In progress
OSINT Basics
A public tool for journalists to track and connect information from websites, built for newsrooms without dedicated tech teams.
Social Monitor
Adjustable dashboard for social listening and monitoring, designed for human rights organisations and small newsrooms.
J-Lab Tools
A standalone newsroom toolkit for journalists covering verification, OSINT basics, and digital security workflows. Built as a self-contained reference.
Reading Manager
A personal library management system to make it easier to find and consume work-related reading, built for active researchers.
Recommended tools
Organised by use case. Focused on accessibility: most are free or open source. For in-depth guidance on using any of these, consider a training session.
Digital Security
Signal
End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls. The standard for secure communication between journalists, sources, and colleagues. Non-negotiable baseline.
Proton Mail
End-to-end encrypted email based in Switzerland. Also offers Proton VPN and Proton Drive for a full privacy-first ecosystem.
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager. Generates, stores, and fills strong unique passwords. The most accessible option for journalists moving away from reused passwords.
Tor Browser
Anonymises web traffic by routing it through the Tor network. Essential for accessing censored content and protecting browsing from surveillance.
uBlock Origin
Efficient browser-based content and tracker blocker. Reduces attack surface, blocks malicious scripts, and improves OSINT browsing hygiene.
ExifTool
Reads, writes, and strips metadata from files. Essential for removing location data, device fingerprints, and timestamps before publishing images.
OSINT and Digital Investigation
4CAT
Open-source capture and analysis toolkit for social media research. Collects data from Telegram, 4chan, Bluesky, Reddit, and more. Built for researchers and journalists.
Zeeschuimer
Firefox extension that captures social media data as you browse: TikTok, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and more. Pairs directly with 4CAT for analysis.
GDELT Project
Real-time open database of global events, news, and sentiment in 100+ languages. Invaluable for tracking narratives and monitoring media coverage patterns across regions.
Botometer
Machine learning tool from Indiana University that scores X/Twitter accounts on their likelihood of being automated bots. Useful for investigating coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
Gephi
Open-source platform for network visualisation and exploration. Used to map relationships between accounts, outlets, and actors in influence operation investigations.
GIJN Guide: Investigating Digital Threats
Practical guide I co-authored for GIJN, covering methodology for investigating trolling campaigns, harassment operations, and digital threats against journalists.
Verification and Fact-Checking
InVID / WeVerify
Browser plugin for verifying images and videos. Reverse image search, metadata extraction, keyframe analysis, and geolocation: all in one tool designed for journalists.
Google Fact Check Explorer
Searches fact-check articles from verified publishers worldwide. Useful for quickly checking whether a claim has already been investigated and debunked.
OSINT Framework
A structured directory of OSINT tools and resources organised by category. A useful starting map for journalists beginning a digital investigation.
Data Visualisation and Journalism
Flourish
Web-based tool for creating publication-ready interactive charts, maps, and data stories. No coding required. Widely used in data journalism across Latin America and Europe.
Tableau
Interactive visualisation platform for exploring and presenting complex datasets. Free for students and educators, and widely available through academic licences.
Datawrapper
Simple, clean chart and map builder designed specifically for newsrooms. Produces embeddable, responsive visualisations with minimal effort.
Social Media Monitoring
Talkwalker
Social listening and competitive intelligence across 30+ social networks and 150M websites. Used for campaign monitoring, narrative tracking, and influence operation detection at scale.
CrowdTangle
Meta's public content discovery tool, now discontinued, but historical data and methodology remain relevant for understanding how content spread across Facebook and Instagram.
GDELT Project
Real-time global event and news database covering 100+ languages. Also listed under OSINT, cross-listed here because of its value for media monitoring and trend analysis.