Ethical Open-Source Intelligence: Preserving Web Evidence Without Alerting, Contacting, or Misidentifying the Subject

Independent Military Defense Investigations

Supporting Attorneys, Service Members, and Families

Publication Date: August 24, 2026

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Executive Summary

Open-source intelligence can provide important evidence in a military defense investigation, but online research must be conducted carefully. A public post, account, image, timestamp, or archived page may help establish a fact, test an allegation, or reveal missing context. At the same time, careless interaction with an account can alert a subject, alter evidence, create attribution errors, or introduce unnecessary ethical and investigative problems.

DI-150 explains a disciplined approach to ethical open-source intelligence. The defense investigator should preserve original sources, document URLs, dates, times, account identifiers, collection methods, and relevant context while distinguishing verified facts from inference. Identity should never be assumed merely because a name, photograph, or account appears to match the person being investigated.

The objective is reproducibility. Another reviewer should be able to trace an investigative conclusion back to the original online source, understand how it was preserved, recognize its limitations, and identify what remains unresolved.

Who Should Read This Publication?

Military Defense Attorneys

Military defense attorneys evaluating social-media or web-based evidence.

Service Members Under Investigation

Whose cases involve online posts, accounts, images, or digital content. Who want to understand how individual facts, witness statements, documents, and digital evidence are evaluated and organized to accurately tell the story of what actually happened.

Family Members Supporting the Defense

Who are assisting with gathering records, photographs, messages, timelines, or witness information and want to understand how those individual pieces fit together to support an effective military defense investigation.

Professional Investigators

Defense Investigators conducting counsel-directed open-source research.

Download the Official Authority Publication (PDF)

Companion Video

This companion video expands on the investigative concepts presented in this Authority Publication through additional explanation, practical examples, and professional investigative insight.

About Michael West

The investigative guidance presented throughout these Authority Publications is based upon decades of professional experience conducting military, federal, criminal, civil, and private investigations. The principles discussed in these publications are drawn from real investigative work involving complex cases, witness development, evidence analysis, and factual case preparation.

Michael West has served as a Special Agent with the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) and the Department of Defense Inspector General, conducted federal background investigations, and spent decades working as a licensed private investigator supporting attorneys, businesses, service members, and private clients. Throughout his career, his work has focused on identifying facts, locating witnesses, analyzing evidence, and strengthening the factual foundation of legal cases through independent investigation.

The Military Defense Investigation Knowledge Base was created to share that investigative experience in a practical, understandable format. Its purpose is to help attorneys, service members, and families better understand the investigative process, ask more informed questions, and recognize opportunities where independent investigation may strengthen the defense.

Important Information

This Authority Publication is provided for educational and informational purposes and is intended to help readers better understand military defense investigations and the investigative process. It is based upon professional investigative experience and is designed to provide practical investigative insight rather than legal advice.

Every military case is unique. The investigative strategies, factual issues, and legal considerations applicable to one case may not apply to another. Readers should consult with a qualified attorney regarding legal rights, legal strategy, and decisions involving their individual circumstances.

Nothing contained in this publication should be interpreted as creating an attorney-client relationship or an investigator-client relationship. References to investigative techniques, procedures, or case examples are provided solely to illustrate investigative principles and should not be considered legal guidance.

Effective military defense is strengthened by informed legal representation supported by thorough factual investigation. The purpose of these Authority Publications is to help readers better understand that investigative process so they can communicate more effectively with qualified legal counsel and make informed decisions throughout the military justice process.