MODLAN INTELLIGENCE RESOURCE · BRIEF
Activity Is Not Capability: Reading Social Media Evidence Carefully
Why a photograph or short video can document an observed activity without proving unrestricted physical capacity, chronology, duration, or medical significance.
Describe the observation first
A defensible report begins with what the content objectively depicts, not with an interpretation about physical ability, pain, restrictions, work capacity, or claim validity.
Resolve the chronology
Original event date, content-creation date, publication date, repost date, and investigator capture date may all differ. Those distinctions can completely change the meaning of the evidence.
Avoid duration and frequency assumptions
A still image or short clip may not establish how long an activity lasted, how often it occurred, what happened immediately before or after, or whether assistance or accommodation was involved.
Report supportive evidence too
Material that supports the claim belongs in the investigative record with the same discipline as contradictory material. Balanced reporting strengthens credibility and reduces outcome-driven interpretation.