What is OSINT, and why is it relevant to privacy?

OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is the collection and analysis of publicly available information, and it's a significant privacy concern because public data can be combined to reveal far more than individuals intended.

Key characteristics of OSINT:

• Uses publicly accessible sources — websites, social media, public records, news
• No hacking or unauthorized access required
• Legal by definition (the data is public), but the aggregation can cross ethical and legal lines

Why OSINT matters for privacy:

The fundamental privacy tension is context collapse — information shared in one context (a social media post for friends) can be taken out of context and combined with other data points to create detailed profiles. A single public data point may seem harmless, but when correlated with others, it can reveal:

• Home address and daily routines
• Financial situation
• Social network and relationships
• Political views and personal beliefs

This is the core lesson: public does not mean intended for everyone's analysis.

Go deeper:

• Open-source intelligence (Wikipedia) — the definition, sources and methods underpinning OSINT.