Thread by @C_3PJoe

@adithyan_ak As I re-read this, you frame this as a guide to help
TraceLabs CTF competitors. This is the exact opposite of #OSINTForGood and what the Trace Labs mission stands for. I don’t think they would endorse this type of unethical #OSINT in their competitions ever

@adithyan_ak Your techniques are unethical for this sort of engagement and banned in the competition. I am intimately familiar with the competition as both a competitor and a judge.

@adithyan_ak The note to the crush is disturbing. If she is okay with this, why not tell her about it? The language in this has a downer creepy vibe and TBH, makes my skin crawl.

@adithyan_ak Your disclaimer about protecting her privacy? Why even add it? You have already invaded it. That goes out the window later in your blog.

@adithyan_ak In phase 1, you mention a specific city and school. This is not respecting her privacy. This is allowing others to recreate your steps. Even making her last name into initials, people can guess that. I am not too far into this and it feels like a blueprint for stalking or doxing.

@adithyan_ak Actively messaging a school staffer is NOT OSINT. That will get you disqualified and banned from a @TraceLabs CTF faster than you can blink. That is HUMINT/Social Engineering. The teacher should also face sanctions for failing to protect any potential students.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs The election database searching is a problem in and of itself. That is not on you directly. Still unethical given the intent, but not illegal.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs Again, with the schools, that is not illegal, but the intent negatives any positive outcome or intention. Totally unethical.

Despite "Protecting her privacy," you list a degree and another city. Others can replicate this.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs There are few problems in having a friend help (unless limited by clearance, contract, etc.) but in this case, you used the friend as a HUMINT source and breached the plane that OSINT stays outside.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs This is not bliss, this is stalking and conditioning, possibly even grooming.

Again, unethical.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs After the Instagram part of the blog, you'd already found her and made contact. Why continue? I saw somethings that I will cover later in scrolling down. This is what organizations like @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army and others seek to combat.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army Getting her admission details? For what? What is the end game? This is getting creepier by the sentence. This behavior is unethical and not okay by any stretch of the imagination.

BTW: The Instagram contact would have gotten a disqualification and ban in @TraceLabs CTFs.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army If you're talking to her, why do you need to get her DOB?

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army Okay. Hold up. You attempted password resets on @instagram ? Why do you need to get into her account? This has taken a turn towards abuse as well. She owes you nothing and deserves 100% agency over her accounts from people acting as you are.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram Password resets are also a disqualifier and instant ban in @TraceLabs CTFs.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram Now that you have shown the part of her password that you have, others can brute force it. Another invasion of her privacy. Then you attempt a @gmail password reset without her consent? What are you thinking? This is not only unethical, but ILLEGAL in many places.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram @gmail Confirming her DOB, IG, and Google accounts weren't enough, so you had to take it to HaveIBeenPwned? This is why we can't keep nice things in the OSINT world. People abuse them or use them to abuse people and they get taken away from legitimate investigators.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram @gmail The timer is too much. Everything about this is too much. I wouldn't be surprised if someone did not duplicate your efforts to alert her of your obsession or worse.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram @gmail I know it has seemed like I did a lot of brow beating. That is not the intent. I take OSINT very seriously and try to protect its reputation. Seeing things like this, which is stalking, doxing, and abuse veiled as OSINT is disturbing.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram @gmail You need to take a step back and re-evaluate your stance. Furthermore, it seems like you have become unhealthily obsessed or infatuated. I am not a medical professional, but you likely need to seek some help. This is not normal, ethical, or okay.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram @gmail We need to respect people's privacy all the time, not just when it suits us.

I won't debate you on the topic, but I will help you learn from this if you want. My DMs are open.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram I think @Medium may need to take a look here.

@adithyan_ak @TraceLabs @OSPASafeEscape @NCPTF8 @TheBADASS_army @instagram @InstagramComms