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Video authentication checklist
A practical step-by-step guide for verifying video authenticity. Print it, bookmark it, use it every time.
1Source Verification
- Identify the original source — who first posted or shared the video?
- Check the account history — is it established or recently created?
- Look for the earliest version — use reverse image/video search on keyframes.
- Verify claims in the description — do they match observable content?
- Check for other coverage — are credible sources reporting the same event?
2Visual Inspection
- Watch at full speed first for overall plausibility.
- Re-watch in slow motion focusing on faces, hands, and edges.
- Look for unnatural lighting — inconsistent shadows, impossible reflections.
- Check text in the video — AI generators often produce garbled or inconsistent text.
- Examine backgrounds — do objects maintain consistent shape across frames?
- Watch for sudden quality changes — resolution or sharpness shifts mid-video.
3Audio Verification
- Listen for unnatural speech patterns — odd rhythm, missing breaths, flat intonation.
- Check audio-visual sync — do lip movements match the words spoken?
- Evaluate room acoustics — does the reverb match the visual environment?
- Listen for background consistency — does ambient sound change unnaturally?
4Technical Analysis
- Check file metadata — does the encoder, timestamp, and device info make sense?
- Run forensic analysis — upload to ClipForensics for 15-module examination.
- Review the evidence timeline — are anomalies clustered or distributed?
- Check compression history — how many encoding passes has the video undergone?
- Look for provenance data — does the file contain C2PA content credentials?
5Contextual Assessment
- Does the content align with known facts about the event or location?
- Can the location be geolocated using visible landmarks or features?
- Can the time be verified using shadows, weather, or visible clocks?
- Is the video consistent with other verified footage of the same event?
- Consider the motivation — who benefits from this content being believed?
6Documentation
- Archive the original URL and file before it may be deleted.
- Save the forensic analysis report for your records.
- Document your verification process — what you checked and what you found.
- Note the confidence level — what you can confirm vs. what remains uncertain.
- If publishing, clearly state the verification status and any caveats.
Important reminder
No checklist guarantees perfect verification. These steps reduce risk but cannot eliminate it. Always state your confidence level and acknowledge what you couldn't verify. An honest "we don't know" is better than a false certainty.