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.
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:
- Mastodon API - Free, decentralized social network
- Web scraping - Use with caution and respect robots.txt
- Academic access - Some researchers may qualify for special access
- 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
pip install datadaggerThat's it! Skip to Quick Start if you want to try it immediately.
- Clone the repository
- Install dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt
- Set up your environment variables (see
.env.example)
# 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# 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# 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 100Copy .env.example to .env and configure your API keys:
# 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# Twitter API (Paid - $100+/month since Feb 2023)
TWITTER_BEARER_TOKEN=your_twitter_bearer_token| Platform | Cost | Features | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FREE | Full API access | ✅ Start here | |
| Mastodon | FREE | Decentralized, Twitter-like | ✅ Great alternative |
| $100+/month | Official Twitter data |
-
Reddit (FREE):
- Go to https://www.reddit.com/prefs/apps/
- Create a "script" application
- Copy client ID and secret
-
Mastodon (FREE):
- Choose an instance (e.g., mastodon.social)
- Create account → Preferences → Development
- Create new application
-
Twitter (PAID):
- Go to https://developer.twitter.com/
- Apply for API access
- Choose Basic plan ($100/month) or higher
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.
MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.