DataDagger - Influence Archaeology OSINT Tool

DataDagger is a command-line OSINT tool for mapping how ideas, narratives, and information spread through digital communities over time. It helps security researchers and analysts understand information flow patterns and identify potential threats.

Important API Changes (2023)

⚠️ Twitter API Update: As of February 2023, Twitter no longer offers free API access. Basic tier starts at $100/month.

Current Platform Support:

• ✅ Reddit - Free API access available
• ⚠️ Twitter - Paid API required ($100+/month)
• 🆕 Mastodon - Free alternative to Twitter
• 🔮 Future: Planning support for Truth Social, Telegram, and other platforms

Alternatives to Twitter:

1. Mastodon API - Free, decentralized social network
2. Web scraping - Use with caution and respect robots.txt
3. Academic access - Some researchers may qualify for special access

Features

• Narrative Tracking: Trace how specific ideas, memes, or narratives originated and evolved
• Influence Mapping: Map which accounts first pushed certain narratives
• Cross-Platform Analysis: Shows how information flows between different platforms
• Timeline Visualization: Create timeline visualizations showing idea evolution
• Network Analysis: Maps social networks of influence relationships
• Content Evolution: Track how stories change as they spread

Quick Install

pip install datadagger

That's it! Skip to Quick Start if you want to try it immediately.

Manual Installation

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

3. Set up your environment variables (see .env.example)

Quick Start

# Install DataDagger
pip install datadagger

# Try the demo (no setup required)
datadagger demo

# Check platform pricing and options
datadagger pricing

# Setup free APIs  
datadagger setup

# Search across free platforms
datadagger search "your topic" --platforms reddit,mastodon

Usage

Basic Commands

# Search for a narrative across free platforms
datadagger search "birds aren't real" --platforms reddit,mastodon --days 30

# Track narrative evolution (Reddit + Mastodon)  
datadagger track --query "covid lab leak" --start-date 2020-01-01 --end-date 2023-01-01

# Analyze influence networks
datadagger network --hashtag "#climatechange" --depth 3

# Generate timeline visualization
datadagger timeline --narrative "flat earth" --output timeline.html

# Export data for analysis
datadagger export --query "misinformation" --format csv --output data.csv

Advanced Features

# Sentiment analysis over time
datadagger sentiment --query "vaccine" --platform mastodon --timeline

# Find patient zero of a narrative
datadagger origin --query "specific conspiracy theory" --threshold 0.8

# Cross-platform correlation analysis
datadagger correlate --query1 "narrative A" --query2 "narrative B"

# Use Twitter (if you have paid access)
datadagger search "breaking news" --platforms twitter --limit 100

Configuration

Copy .env.example to .env and configure your API keys:

Free Platforms (Recommended)

# Reddit API (Free)
REDDIT_CLIENT_ID=your_reddit_client_id
REDDIT_CLIENT_SECRET=your_reddit_client_secret

# Mastodon API (Free) 
MASTODON_INSTANCE_URL=https://mastodon.social
MASTODON_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token_here  # Optional for public data

Paid Platforms

# Twitter API (Paid - $100+/month since Feb 2023)
TWITTER_BEARER_TOKEN=your_twitter_bearer_token

API Cost Breakdown (as of 2025)

Getting API Keys

1. Reddit (FREE):

   • Go to https://www.reddit.com/prefs/apps/
   • Create a "script" application
   • Copy client ID and secret

2. Mastodon (FREE):

   • Choose an instance (e.g., mastodon.social)
   • Create account → Preferences → Development
   • Create new application

3. Twitter (PAID):

   • Go to https://developer.twitter.com/
   • Apply for API access
   • Choose Basic plan ($100/month) or higher

Legal and Ethical Use

This tool is designed for:

• Security research and threat intelligence
• Academic research on information diffusion
• Journalism and fact-checking
• Understanding misinformation patterns

Important: Only use this tool on publicly available data and in compliance with platform terms of service and applicable laws.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.