What you may and may not do when using SOF as a directory and reference.
What we collect, what we don't, and how telemetry is handled (spoiler: minimally).
Ethical-use principles
- Lawful purpose first. Use OSINT for research, journalism, defensive security, fraud prevention, threat intelligence, humanitarian work or your own due diligence — never to harass, stalk, dox or harm individuals.
- Minimise collection. Collect only what you need to answer the question in front of you. Discard the rest.
- Respect platform terms. A tool being listed here is not a licence to violate the terms of service of the platforms it queries.
- Verify, then publish. Single-source OSINT is rarely sufficient. Corroborate before acting on or republishing findings.
- Protect sources and subjects. Even public-data work can endanger people. Think before you share.
Disclaimer
SOF is provided "as is" for informational and educational purposes. Sisserou Digital Solutions Ltd does not operate, control or endorse any of the third-party tools listed in this framework, and is not responsible for their availability, accuracy, content, security or compliance with any particular jurisdiction.
Inclusion of a tool is not an endorsement. Removal of a tool is not a judgement. Users are solely responsible for ensuring that their use of any listed tool complies with applicable laws, regulations and platform terms in their jurisdiction.
Legal context of OSINT
Open-source intelligence works with information that is publicly available — but "public" does not mean "consequence-free". Different jurisdictions regulate scraping, data protection (GDPR, CCPA, LGPD), computer misuse, defamation and the handling of personal data very differently.
When in doubt, document your methodology, your sources and your purpose. Treat personal data with the same care you would expect for your own. If your work touches individuals in the EU/UK, GDPR's principles of lawful basis, purpose limitation and data minimisation almost certainly apply.
For a deeper overview, read What is OSINT?.
Contact & reporting
To request removal, report a problem with a listed tool, or raise a legal concern, use our contact page. We review every request and act in good faith.