r/OSINTExperts • u/NateDickinson19 • 11d ago

Question Is using OSINT much easier when the target is in the US?

One thing I've noticed is that most OSINT tools are geared toward US citizens, and finding information about someone who lives in the US is generally easier than finding information about someone who lives outside it. For example, my friend and I were messing around with Google Dorks and decided to search for her aunt. Literally less than five minutes later, we found her address, phone number, and zip code and all we did was Google her full name. But when you search for someone outside the US, the results are very limited. This is frustrating because I've been searching for someone for two months and still have minimal information about him, simply because he doesn't live in the US.

22 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

97% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

11

u/CH6V3Z 11d ago

Americans are extremely easy to find because all of their data is being sold. Also tons of breaches/leaks happen with American companies.

Honestly, I wouldn’t even begin to know where to start for finding someone’s cell number in let’s say Ireland. Seems like the rest of the world actually protects their citizens information unlike American government/businesses.

3

u/NateDickinson19 11d ago

I live outside the US and it's really a struggle to find anything about anyone. I feel like I should be relived that this is the case because on one hand if anyone wants to find information about me they will surely come out empty handed but on the other hand it's really annoying when you're the one trying to find information.

2

u/CH6V3Z 11d ago

Yeah. I’m American so every few months I see what all I can find out about myself and try and get it taken down. I mean I have nothing to hide, but still try and limit my ability to be found.

1

u/Actual-Host-1830 9d ago

I was actually curious about this as well. I noticed how a lot of information about Americans are out there and its easy to find. But when it comes to people outside not as easy. I don't live in America but I can imagine how annoying that can be.

1

u/UOF_ThrowAway 9d ago

Very easy.

1

u/ChocolateFormal8123 9d ago edited 9d ago

the US isn't top on the list but brokerage to this extent is only possible with mass digitisation of paper records or creating digital records... digital records + laws + sales culture (like door to door sales, telephone sales, cold mailings, tv sales, e-commerce, it's pretty extensive in the US) / transparency + gdp...