Your Online Presence and the Insurance Industry

By C. Phil Hall

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Insurance Claims

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Last Modified on Sep 02, 2026

When you file a claim for an injury from a car accident, a slip and fall, medical practice, or any type of personal injury, the insurance company will investigate the claim, possibly using your online presence to verify or discredit your claim.

Investigators use and analyze publicly available sources including Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok as well as fitness, dating, and payment apps. If it is public, it’s fair game, and the photos, location check-ins, and tags from friends and family all come into play.

Social media, however, doesn’t always capture the full story. For example, a client who is recovering from a serious back injury posts a picture of himself smiling while attending a friend’s wedding. He may have only attended the celebration for a short time; he may not have engaged in physical activity, but the insurance company may claim that he isn’t as injured as he says he is because of one photograph in which he appears pain-free. A picture only captures a moment. The client may have been uncomfortable for most of the wedding, but in one picture he appears to have no trouble. The insurance company will try to extend this moment to limit or deny compensation.

To get the compensation you deserve when you have been injured, it is important to understand how insurance companies investigate claims. It can be hard to deal with insurance companies alone. Asking a lawyer first is the safe move when you have been injured.