A video (above) of two bombs going off at the Boston Marathon, shot from the perspective of one of the runners, emerged and was shared by many media outlets. But the video was uploaded to an obscure YouTube account, NekoAngel3Wolf, with only one video upload, raising doubts about its authenticity.

How the authenticity of the video was verified:

1. Confirming the location and perspective by using Google Maps Street View.
2. Identifying the person who uploaded the video by doing what researchers call a triangulation search:
   • Identifying the YouTube account by searching the username and variations of it across other social platforms (Twitter, Pinterest).
   • Identifying the marathon runner and confirming their identity using Boston Athletic Association’s registrant page.
   • Triangulating other results using supporting information from a Facebook post and LinkedIn search.
   • Discovering the runner’s contact information using Spokeo.
   • Contacting the runner (and the person who recorded the video) to confirm authenticity. In some cases, you may also want to obtain rights/permission to use content that was captured by your source.
3. Finding similar images/content from the event by verified accounts (accounts with a blue tick or credible news organizations), can help you potentially corroborate content that you are verifying.

This case study brings together all the answers to the most important verification questions.

1. Provenance: The original video was indeed recorded by NekoAngel3Wolf and this was confirmed upon contacting her (via phone) and asking her to send the original video file.
2. Source: Using the account name NekoAngel3Wolf and internet sleuthing skills, the woman who uploaded the video was found
3. Date: The timestamp on YouTube and the source herself both validated when the video was captured.
4. Location: Using Google Maps Street View, the location in the video can be confirmed.
5. Motivation: The uploader’s mother was a participant in the marathon, recording her journey.