--- title: "OSINT: Does it Violate Privacy and Other Questions You Need Answers" description: "OSINT: Balancing Privacy and Information Gathering. Unraveling the Myths and Facts Surrounding Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Explore Now." image: https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/OSINT-research.png --- Insurance leaders on promises of emerging data [Listen to podcast](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/soa-podcast-promises-and-risks-of-emerging-data-in-insurance) [![Pilotbird](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Dark.svg "Pilotbird")](https://www.pilotbird.com/) [![Pilotbird](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Light.svg "Pilotbird")](https://www.pilotbird.com/) - [Technology](https://www.pilotbird.com/technology) - [Insights](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog) - [Technology](https://www.pilotbird.com/technology) - [Insights](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog) [Contact Us](https://www.pilotbird.com/contactus) [Contact Us](https://www.pilotbird.com/contactus) ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=2764348&fmt=gif) # OSINT: Does it Violate Privacy and Other Questions You Need Answers ![Banner-E](https://www.pilotbird.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Banner-E.jpg?width=1420&name=Banner-E.jpg "Banner-E") Claims 6 Sep 2023, 4 Min Read It is natural to feel a little squeamish about looking at the personal information of another individual. It can feel like a violation of someone's privacy, and many individuals and businesses are hesitant to get involved with reviewing information about their customers. However, there are considerations to make about when and how to view pieces of information about customers. There are research tactics that one may use to learn more about their customers that are completely ethical and highly valuable for the companies that use them. One such tactic is known as Open Source Intelligence or OSINT, and it is steadily gaining popularity among a variety of different companies. The growth of the use of OSINT research has exploded. Some estimates put the market value of OSINT research at approximately $5.4 billion in 2021, but it is forecast to grow to approximately [$36.2 billion by 2030](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/09/13/2515324/0/en/Global-Open-Source-Intelligence-OSINT-Market-Size-Worth-36-241-24-Billion-by-2030-at-a-28-33-CAGR-Custom-Market-Insights-Share-Report-Outlook-Growth-Trends-Segmentation.html). ## **What is OSINT? ** Before you can begin to gain benefits from using OSINT, you first need to know what it is all about. [Sans.org](https://www.sans.org/blog/what-is-open-source-intelligence/) defines this in the following way:  Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is defined as intelligence produced by collecting, evaluating and analysing publicly available information to answer a specific intelligence question. It is important to note that anyone can perform OSINT on their own if they wish to do so. That said, it is most powerful when it is conducted by someone who has a clear intention to use it for a business purpose. In that case, they are seeking the information with a specific purpose, and they can leverage that information to immediate effect.  ### **OSINT is NOT Just Googling** There is a common misconception that OSINT is the same thing as simply Googling information about someone, but that is far from the truth. There are limitations to what one can accomplish by Googling someone's name. All that you will see when you [Google someone's name](https://www.liferaftinc.com/blog/7-powerful-google-dorks-osint-analysts-should-know) is the information that Google has decided to index about them. You will also only see information that has been optimized to reach the Google algorithm. Therefore, what you are likely to read about someone is simply curated information targeted at the Google algorithm. Those are not the deep facts that you truly want to know about someone, and that is why OSINT is so much more than just Googling information about someone.  ![OSINT-research](https://www.pilotbird.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OSINT-research.png?width=1024&height=575&name=OSINT-research.png) ## **Is OSINT a Violation of Privacy? ** You might find yourself tripped up by someone asking if performing OSINT research is a violation of privacy. Getting information about someone that is personalized to them can certainly feel like it is digging into the private lives of people in a way that they might not want you to do. However, that is simply not the case. In reality, OSINT is only research conducted on pieces of information that is available in the public sphere.  This is a key point that also means that OSINT is a [completely legal form of research](https://cwsisecurity.com/what-is-open-source-intelligence-osint/#:~:text=OSINT%20is%20completely%20legal%20because,information%20available%20from%20public%20sources.) as well. Some of the sources of OSINT research [include the following](https://study.com/learn/lesson/public-records-overview-examples.html):  - Court records - Voting records - Marriage Records - Birth certificates - City Council meeting minutes - Criminal records - Immigration records These are all records that are kept in the public sphere, and they are records that one can access to learn more about their customers and potential customers. It is important to sort through which records may be of value to your organization and create a strategic plan for how to use that information to reach out to a customer in a more personalized way. You shouldn't scour records just for the sake of looking through them, but you might find some hidden gems within the information that you have managed to pull out of the public records that you have accessed.  ## **Do Individuals Have to Consent to OSINT Research?** A question that you might have to contend with is when someone asks about the consent that must be obtained by those with that you are conducting OSINT research. Some believe that it is necessary to gain the consent of those from whom you are pulling records. While this might be true of certain types of private records, it is not true for the types of records that you will pull up when you are conducting OSINT research. A full [91% of individuals](https://www.businessinsider.com/deloitte-study-91-percent-agree-terms-of-service-without-reading-2017-11) admit that they do NOT read the terms and conditions of various services that they use. They simply accept the terms without reading them, and those terms often spell out how the service can store and use their personal data. Therefore, many users have already agreed to have the information they share online to be used in a wide variety of ways. The nature of the records that you get with this type of research is all held in the public sphere. As such, there are no special permission requirements necessary to obtain that information.  ## **Does OSINT Research Include Social Media Posts? ** Anything that someone posts on social media is considered part of the public record, even if they have attempted to keep their profile isolated from the outside world. Therefore, some of the information that is pulled when doing OSINT research will include information from social media. This might include anything that one has submitted on a social network from status updates to pictures and videos. It can also potentially include information about the following:  - The pages that one has liked - The connections (friends) that one has - Groups that one has joined Any of this information may be public information that could be accessed by a company performing OSINT research. Not all of it will be of value to a company, but they may be able to see it. This information is what many social media platforms rely on to sell advertisements to the companies that they partner with. Social networks have the information on their users that marketers want, and those marketers are willing to pay for it. While certain details are available via OSINT research, some of that information is held in private. For the right price, most of it is available to marketers.  ## **Is OSINT the Most Effective Form of Research?** There are arguments to be made that OSINT is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to conducting research, and that is largely true. This form of research is merely about scratching the surface of what is available out there, but it is an easy way to get some basic information and do so without cost. Again, the information is placed on the Internet and other public sources where anyone can gain access to it. Therefore, this is a great place to start if you are a growing business that is attempting to learn what you can about your customers with minimal costs.  REFERENCES - [https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/09/13/2515324/0/en/Global-Open-Source-Intelligence-OSINT-Market-Size-Worth-36-241-24-Billion-by-2030-at-a-28-33-CAGR-Custom-Market-Insights-Share-Report-Outlook-Growth-Trends-Segmentation.html](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/09/13/2515324/0/en/Global-Open-Source-Intelligence-OSINT-Market-Size-Worth-36-241-24-Billion-by-2030-at-a-28-33-CAGR-Custom-Market-Insights-Share-Report-Outlook-Growth-Trends-Segmentation.html) - [https://www.sans.org/blog/what-is-open-source-intelligence/](https://www.sans.org/blog/what-is-open-source-intelligence/) - [https://www.liferaftinc.com/blog/7-powerful-google-dorks-osint-analysts-should-know](https://www.liferaftinc.com/blog/7-powerful-google-dorks-osint-analysts-should-know) - [https://cwsisecurity.com/what-is-open-source-intelligence-osint/#:~:text=OSINT%20is%20completely%20legal%20because,information%20available%20from%20public%20sources.](https://cwsisecurity.com/what-is-open-source-intelligence-osint/#:~:text=OSINT%20is%20completely%20legal%20because,information%20available%20from%20public%20sources.) - [https://study.com/learn/lesson/public-records-overview-examples.html](https://study.com/learn/lesson/public-records-overview-examples.html) - [https://www.businessinsider.com/deloitte-study-91-percent-agree-terms-of-service-without-reading-2017-11](https://www.businessinsider.com/deloitte-study-91-percent-agree-terms-of-service-without-reading-2017-11) Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn ![Evgeny Aleksandrov](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/797518957cd317d1263bb91542e8046e.png) **Evgeny Aleksandrov** is an industry thought leader in the insurance industry with numerous articles on technology, innovation, and financial services. ### Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked \* ##### Read next - ###### [![5 Key Questions for Organizations Using OSINT to Prevent Fraud](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/OSINT-help-in-fraud-prevention.png) Claims 5 Key Questions for Organizations Using OSINT to Prevent Fraud 6 Sep 2023 5 Min Read](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/5-osint-related-questions-for-insurance-fraud-prevention) - ###### [![OSINT and Consumer Privacy: Trust in Insurance Fraud Monitoring](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/Balancing.png) Claims OSINT and Consumer Privacy: Trust in Insurance Fraud Monitoring 6 Sep 2023 4 Min Read](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/insurance-trust-and-security-osint-and-consumer-privacy-in-claims-fraud-monitoring) - ###### [![Pilotbird Sponsors Connected Claims 2023](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202023-09-25%20at%204.03.51%20PM.png) News Pilotbird Sponsors Connected Claims 2023 25 Sep 2023 Under a minute](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/pilotbird-sponsors-connected-claims-2023) - ###### [![Affordable Pursuit: 5 Common Fraudulent Claims Worth Investigating](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/The-Risk-moral-hazard.webp) Claims Affordable Pursuit: 5 Common Fraudulent Claims Worth Investigating 6 Sep 2023 4 Min Read](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/affordable-pursuit-5-common-fraudulent-claims-worth-investigating) - ###### [![Pilotbird exhibits at 40th Anniversary IASIU in Nashville, TN](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202024-08-15%20at%208.22.56%20AM.png) News Pilotbird exhibits at 40th Anniversary IASIU in Nashville, TN 15 Aug 2024 Under a minute](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/pilotbird-exhibits-at-40th-anniversary-iasiu-in-nashville-tn) - ###### [![The Pitfalls of Ignoring Fraudulent Insurance Claims](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/Prevent-fraud.png) Claims The Pitfalls of Ignoring Fraudulent Insurance Claims 10 Aug 2023 4 Min Read](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/the-pitfalls-of-ignoring-fraudulent-insurance-claims) #### Other insights - [![5 Key Questions for Organizations Using OSINT to Prevent Fraud](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/OSINT-help-in-fraud-prevention.png)](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/5-osint-related-questions-for-insurance-fraud-prevention) Claims 6 Sep 2023 5 Min Read ##### [5 Key Questions for Organizations Using OSINT to Prevent Fraud](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/5-osint-related-questions-for-insurance-fraud-prevention) Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is invaluable in preventing insurance fraud. OSINT tools gather and analyze publicly available information from various sources to provide insights that can be used... [Read More »](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/5-osint-related-questions-for-insurance-fraud-prevention) - [![OSINT and Consumer Privacy: Trust in Insurance Fraud Monitoring](https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/Balancing.png)](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/insurance-trust-and-security-osint-and-consumer-privacy-in-claims-fraud-monitoring) Claims 6 Sep 2023 4 Min Read ##### [OSINT and Consumer Privacy: Trust in Insurance Fraud Monitoring](https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/insurance-trust-and-security-osint-and-consumer-privacy-in-claims-fraud-monitoring) The insurance industry has continuously struggled to fight fraud cases that harm both insurers—who lose resources—and the insured—who are forced to pay higher premiums. Fraudulent claims can break... 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Unraveling the Myths and Facts Surrounding Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Explore Now. " } ``` ```json { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type":"WebPage", "@id":"https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/osint-privacy-concerns-and-key-answers", "description": "OSINT: Balancing Privacy and Information Gathering. Unraveling the Myths and Facts Surrounding Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Explore Now. " }, "url": "/", "logo": "https://9002617.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9002617/Capa%202.png", "image": "https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Dark.svg", "name": "Pilotbird", "alternateName": "Pilotbird", "naics": "513210", "description": "Pilotbird empowers Life & Health and P&C insurance teams to better score risk and detect ineligible claims by analyzing social data points", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "247 W 46th St ", "addressLocality": "New York", "addressRegion": "NY", "addressCountry": "", "postalCode": "" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "GeoCircle", "geoMidpoint": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "40.75996223497667", "longitude": "-73.98761007334504" }, "geoRadius": "150 km" }, "telephone": "", "email": "info@pilotbird.com", "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/pilotbird/" ] } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org/", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/", "name" : "Home", "position" : 1 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/pilotbird-lifestyle-risk-scoring", "name" : "Pilotbird Lifestyle Risk Scoring", "position" : 2 } ] } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "alternateName" : "Kiwi Insurance Services, Inc", "logo" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Dark.svg", "name" : "Pilotbird", "sameAs" : "https://www.linkedin.com/company/pilotbird/", "url" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org/", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/", "name" : "Home", "position" : 1 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/pilotbird-lifestyle-risk-scoring", "name" : "Pilotbird Lifestyle Risk Scoring", "position" : 2 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/pilotbird-engage", "name" : "Pilotbird Engage", "position" : 3 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/pilotbird-fraud-monitoring", "name" : "Pilotbird Fraud Monitoring", "position" : 4 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/technology", "name" : "Pilotbird Technology", "position" : 5 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/blog", "name" : "Pilotbird Blog", "position" : 6 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/contactus", "name" : "Pilotbird Contact Us", "position" : 7 } ] } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Mani Kaur" }, "datePublished" : "2021-01-07", "description" : "Robert Eaton from Society of Actuaries on the uses of lifestyle data points to improve insurance experience. Tune in for the latest views in using alternative data sets to improve underwriting accuracy and prequalify leads.", "headline" : "Our CEO on podcast with Society of Actuaries", "image" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ceo_podcast-300x139-1%20(1).png?width=300&name=ceo_podcast-300x139-1%20(1).png", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/our-ceo-on-podcast-with-society-of-actuaries", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Dark.svg" }, "name" : "Pilotbird" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Mani Kaur" }, "datePublished" : "2022-01-11", "description" : "Insurance technology trends will increase competition with new entrants joining the market as existing players grapple with the hostile environment. McKinsey & Company agrees with these sentiments, affirming that technology will alter the structure of many organizations (1) in the coming decade. Future leaders in the industry will be organizations that integrate these technologies into their core processes and adopt an innovative mindset in light of the new realities.", "headline" : "5 Growing Insurance Technology Trends You Can’t Afford to Ignore", "image" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hs-fs/hubfs/insurance-technology-trends.jpg?width=1420&name=insurance-technology-trends.jpg", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/insurance-technology-trends", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Dark.svg" }, "name" : "Pilotbird" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Mani Kaur" }, "datePublished" : "2022-09-05", "description" : "Social media and insurance records have enormous amounts of data on individuals. However, the below factors are the most consequential for health.", "headline" : "Social Media and Insurance: How BMI Is Reflected in Social Data", "image" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hs-fs/hubfs/consumers%20providing%20information%20to%20social%20media%20and%20insurance%20companies.jpg?width=1420&name=consumers%20providing%20information%20to%20social%20media%20and%20insurance%20companies.jpg", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/social-media-insurance-how-bmi-is-reflected-social-data", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Dark.svg" }, "name" : "Pilotbird" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Mani Kaur" }, "dateModified" : "2022-10-10", "datePublished" : "2020-12-11", "description" : "The insurance industry is quickly following suit with multiple applications designed to improve the accuracy of underwriting. InsurTech disrupts the insurance landscape by improving customer experience, triaging customer to a product, and assessing underwriting risk. Let’s look at how these applications utilize lifestyle insights and social data points during the underwriting process.", "headline" : "Lifestyle Insights for Underwriting in FinTech and InsurTech", "image" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/lifestyle_insight_v2-1.svg", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/blog/lifestyle-insights-for-underwriting-in-fintech-and-insurtech", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.pilotbird.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Pilotbird_January2022/images/Pilotbird_Logo_Dark.svg" }, "name" : "Pilotbird" } } ```