After 2 months of grafting, heart break, doing bits, questionable loyalty and copious amounts of sun burn, Love Island is now drawing to a close. As the remaining couples fight to reach the final, they remain oblivious to the month-long heat wave, England reaching the World Cup Semi-Finals and the extra juicy information the whole country knows about their lives before the villa.
Love Island has once again gained a huge audience by feeding our nosey cravings but watching people’s relationships up close and personal just isn’t quite enough for Love Island viewers. Oh no, not only do we want to see everything they do in the villa, but also the details of their lives before they entered. People up and down the country of all ages and professions have unknowingly been using their own OSINT skills to find out the juicy deets.
The Islanders are all avid users of Instagram; after the first episode was aired, the contestants’ Instagram handles were found and shared in articles online. Their followings grew instantly. By looking through their profiles, people have been able to find out information including their interests, lifestyle, travel destinations, gyms they visit, family members and previous partners. The images have also been used to determine which Islanders smoke, as this is now not shown in the programme. Their Facebook and Twitter accounts have also been searched to gain similar insights. One Islander was even outed for supporting a well-known far-right activist on their Facebook profile.
LinkedIn has been used to discover the Islanders’ day jobs prior to entering the villa and even find out what their parents do. One fan of the show found an Islander’s professional email address to see if they had returned to work after being dumped from the villa or if they would receive an automated out of office reply.
Other viewers have delved deeper into their online footprints and found numerous Islanders featuring in music videos with famous artists. Older photos reveal those who have gone through cosmetic surgery and birth certificates have been identified to settle disputes regarding age.
Without even realising it, Love Island fans have used their OSINT skills to join the dots and create a more detailed picture of who this year’s contestants really are.
#OpenSourceLoveIslandIntelligence #KnowYourIslanders #DrDoMoreChecks
-Anna Fletcher
