> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://tools.osintnewsletter.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://tools.osintnewsletter.com/osint-tools/mw-geofind.md).

# MW Geofind

| **MW Geo-find**  | **Quick Overview**                                                                                         |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| URL              | <https://mattw.io/youtube-geofind/location>                                                                |
| What it does     | Maps YouTube videos by location.                                                                           |
| How to use it    | Drop a pin or search a location, set filters, and browse videos on the map.                                |
| Cost             | Free.                                                                                                      |
| Account required | No.                                                                                                        |
| Cookies          | Mix of strictly necessary security cookies and some medium-level cookies for settings and user experience. |
| Ownership        | Created by Matt Wright, an Application Developer based in Pennsylvania.                                    |
| Use in Reporting | Supports visual verification, timeline building, and sourcing local footage.                               |

### What does MW Geofind do?

MW Geofind pulls in geotagged YouTube videos and plots them on an interactive map. This makes it much easier to find relevant footage from a specific location, especially useful during breaking news, conflict monitoring, or event verification. Instead of searching blindly on YouTube, you can visually explore what was filmed in a given area.&#x20;

**The lowdown:** It’s a fast, simple tool for finding location-based YouTube footage.

### How to Use:

**1. Enter a location or manually move the map to your area of interest.**

<figure><img src="/files/23TkuJ4mn4rkCTAEcqai" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/EAT6vNvuA2ZeFHs99qFX" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**2. Adjust filters (date range, keywords, radius) to narrow results. Then click map markers to view and analyse videos directly.**

<figure><img src="/files/JPyRsezmJ5qYBRBKFrX4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Cost

* [x] Free
* [ ] Partially Free
* [ ] Paid

## Data Processing

### Account Required:

* [ ] Yes
* [x] No

### Cookies:

Mostly Google authentication and security cookies, with a mix of strictly necessary security cookies and some medium-level cookies used for settings and user experience.

### Use in Reporting

MW Geofind is useful for:

* Finding eyewitness footage near an incident.
* Supporting geolocation efforts.
* Building timelines from user-generated content.
* Corroborating events with visual evidence.

In real-world terms, it’s an ideal tool for reporting on conflict coverage (e.g. locating YouTube footage from areas in Ukraine or Iran), protest and civil unrest monitoring (finding on-the-ground uploads near events) and breaking news incidents.&#x20;

| **Capabilities**                         | **Limitations**                                    |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Maps geotagged YouTube content visually. | Only works with videos that have geolocation data. |
| Filters by date, keyword, and radius.    | Dependent on YouTube’s API and available metadata. |
| Surfaces hyper-local video evidence.     | Can miss relevant videos without location tags.    |
| Speeds up discovery of relevant footage. | <p><br></p>                                        |

### Summary

MW Geofind is best used during the Collection and Initial Analysis phases of the OSINT workflow as a discovery layer alongside other verification tools.

### Ownership

Created by [Matt Wright](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwright324/), currently an Application Developer at enGen, based in Pennsylvania.&#x20;

### Ethical Considerations

* Respect privacy when using user-generated content.
* Verify footage before drawing conclusions.
* Be cautious when working with sensitive or conflict-related material.
* Avoid amplifying harmful or misleading content.

### Related Tools:

* YouTube Data Viewer&#x20;
* Google Earth / Google Maps
* InVID

#### Sources

<https://mattw.io/youtube-geofind/location>&#x20;

<https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind>&#x20;

<https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki>&#x20;

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwright324/>&#x20;

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