Images, thanks to their emotive value, have become powerful tools for telling stories and for purposes of educating, and entertaining people. Images influence opinions and can cause controversies when used in the wrong context.
With the rise of sophisticated editing tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI), anyone with access to a tool can create a convincing fake image with just a few clicks. This is where forensic analysis by InVID Verification Tools steps in as a defence.
It involves the careful, digital examination of visual content to uncover hidden edits, expose inconsistencies, and verify authenticity, whether through metadata checks, noise patterns, or pixel-level irregularities.
Metadata is the hidden data embedded in a media file, such as the date it was created, the device used, or software history.
When images are edited or tampered with, this metadata often changes or disappears. Beyond metadata, forensic filters can reveal visual disruptions that the human eye cannot detect, making it possible to expose digital manipulations.
In this article, a viral photo allegedly showing former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Evelyn Aidoo, popularly known as Serwaa Broni, in a private jet will be used to explain how forensic analysis of images works. The image gained attention in 2022, but forensic analysis using InVID helped confirm it had been digitally altered.
Read the full report by GhanaFact here.
Below is a step-by-step process of using InVID’s forensic tools.
Step 1: Install and Launch the InVID & WeVerify Plugin
- Go to: ( https://www.invid-project.eu/tools-and-services/invid-verification-plugin/ )
- Download and install the plugin as an extension in your Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
- Pin the InVID icon to your browser toolbar.
- Click the icon to open the InVID plugin interface.
Step 2: Upload the Image for Analysis
- Within the InVID plugin, navigate to the “Forensic tab” which is a drop down menu under image.
- Upload the viral image or paste a direct URL if the image is hosted online.
- The tool will process the image and project forensic filters available for analysis.
- The Forensic tab has features, including Error Level Analysis (ELA), Double Quantization, Median Noise, Laplacian, DCT among others. Each comes with a description that best fit their function.
Step 3: Conduct Error Level Analysis (ELA)
- ELA highlights areas with varying compression levels, often revealing where content has been inserted or modified.
- Select the “ELA” option.
- Review the image for patches or regions that appear brighter or darker than similar areas.
In the image of President Akufo-Addo and Serwaa Broni, ELA revealed varying compression levels between the President’s figure, the bed, and the surrounding areas, suggesting that different parts of the image had been compressed separately. This inconsistency is a strong indicator of digital tampering.
Step 4: Analyse JPEG Quantization (Double Compression)
- Select the “JPEG-based” or “Double Quantiszation” analysis.
- This method detects inconsistencies in compression between tampered and untampered parts of a JPEG image.
Application in this case
Some regions appeared red, while others remained blue, indicating that parts of the image had been inserted after the original photo was created. Red areas marked likely regions of tampering, especially around President Akufo-Addo’s figure.
Step 5: Examine JPEG Compression Grid with BLOCK Analysis
- Select the “JPEG BLOCK” analysis.
- This filter detects disruptions in the natural 8×8 grid pattern of JPEG images, often caused by image editing.
Application in this case
The BLOCK analysis has visible discrepancies in texture and abnormal brightness around the inserted elements, especially the President’s clothing and the document in his hand, proving the image had been altered.
Step 6: Interpret Metadata (Optional)
- Switch to the “Metadata” tab.
- Upload the same image file.
- Review embedded data such as:
-Date and time of creation
-Editing software used
-Camera model or geolocation data
Note: In many manipulated images, metadata is either missing or shows signs of export from photo-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.
Step 7: Cross-Reference the Source Material
Following forensic filters, investigators can use Reverse Image Search (another feature in InVID) or external platforms like Google Images to track the main source of the image. This is exactly what was done in the Serwaa Broni case.
Application in the case of the former President and Serwaa Broni:
The team traced the original photo to a luxury jet interior from a public aviation site. A closer inspection showed that the image of President Akufo-Addo signing the e-levy bill had been transposed onto this background to create the false narrative.
After passing through multiple forensic checks, ELA, Double Quantization, JPEG Block Analysis, and source comparison, the photo was confirmed to be digitally altered. It combined elements from an actual signing event and a private jet interior to manufacture a misleading impression.
InVID equips you with forensic tools to expose manipulations in digital imagery. What looks authentic at first glance might be nothing more than a carefully crafted fabrication.
So before you share that next viral photo, pause. Investigate. Run a forensic check. In the age of visual deception, truth demands verification.
Written by Samuel Nii Adjetey
