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Law Journal of the National Academy of Internal Affairs

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  • Volume 16, No. 2, 2026

  • Legal and practical aspects of the application of OSINT methodologies for evidence collection during pre-trial investigation of public office offences

  • Received 18.12.2025,
  • Revised 26.03.2026,
  • Accepted 26.05.2026
  • Published 08.07.2026
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Volume 16, No. 2, 2026
  • open-source information; personal data; declarations; registers; disinformation; deepfakes; illicit enrichment
  • https://doi.org/10.63341/naia-chasopis/2.2026.18
  • Pages 18-30

The purpose of the study was to examine legal constraints, procedural requirements, and practical challenges arising during the recording, verification, and use of information from open sources in proceedings concerning public office offences. Contextual, legal and regulatory, and problem-oriented analysis methods were employed to achieve the purpose. Given the increasing trend in the number of such offences in 2024-2025, the use of information from open sources is appropriate for the timely identification of criminal schemes, prevention of losses, and strengthening of public trust in state institutions. The study drew on an examination of the regulatory framework and contextual analysis to identify strengths and prospects of evidence collection from open sources, including broad access to relevant information, rapid data acquisition, and the possibility of investigating offences across different segments of state activity, including military, educational, medical, and other domains. The analysis found a number of problems and risks with using open-source information, such as the lack of standard procedures, limited technical skills, and possible ethical issues. Examination of these challenges informed recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of using open sources in the investigation of public office offences. Improvement of investigative effectiveness involved transformation across multiple dimensions, particularly regulatory, procedural, institutional, staffing, methodological, technical, ethical, and control-related aspects. The results of the study may be used by legislators to improve the regulatory framework, by law enforcement bodies and investigators to enhance the effectiveness and quality of investigations into public office offences, by researchers for further analysis of methodologies for processing information from open sources, and by educational institutions for the development of training programmes and courses on the use of digital evidence in criminal proceedings

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