Media Verification

The checklist

1. Provenance — is this the original or a repost? Run

   reverse-image-search

   (video: search keyframes) to find the earliest copy and its true date and caption. Recycled old media in a new context is the most common deception.
2. Metadata — run

   exif-metadata-analysis

   for capture time, GPS, and editing-software traces (often stripped by platforms — absence isn't proof).
3. Location — does the scene match the claimed place? Verify with

   chronolocation

   .
4. Time — do shadows, weather, and season fit the claimed date? Cross-check weather archives.
5. Internal consistency — signage language, currency, plates, and license details should all agree with the claimed setting.

Manipulation & AI

• Edits — error-level analysis (FotoForensics), clone/splice artifacts, inconsistent lighting/shadows and reflections, warped edges near pasted objects.
• AI-generated — check hands, teeth, ears, text/logos, jewelry, and background coherence; watch for too-smooth skin and nonsensical fine print. Detection tools help but are not reliable alone — corroborate.
• Video/deepfake — unnatural blinking, mismatched lip-sync, flickering face edges, inconsistent head/neck lighting; inspect frame by frame.

Verdict