International Journal of Computer Applications |
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA |
Volume 187 - Number 37 |
Year of Publication: 2025 |
Authors: Dhea Aprila Hi Hakim, Imam Riadi |
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Dhea Aprila Hi Hakim, Imam Riadi . Forensic Analysis of Instagram Application Against Case of Spreading Hoax Content using National Institute of Justice Method. International Journal of Computer Applications. 187, 37 ( Sep 2025), 24-32. DOI=10.5120/ijca2025925637
In the digital era, social media is the main means of sharing information, but platforms such as Instagram are often misused to spread hoaxes that can influence public opinion. This research aims to analyse and uncover digital evidence related to hoaxes on Instagram using the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standard-based forensic method through five stages: preparation, collection, examination, analysis, and reporting. Data was extracted from rooted smartphones using Oxygen Forensic Detective, Belkasoft Evidence Center X, and Autopsy, focusing on digital artefacts such as DMs, captions, cached files, and metadata. The investigation results showed Oxygen Forensic Detective had the highest accuracy (95%), finding deleted DM messages, captions, images, videos, and account metadata. Autopsy recorded 86%, successfully recovering messages and captions but not media, while Belkasoft only 32% with limitations on media. These findings prove that deleted digital evidence can still be recovered, emphasising the important role of digital forensics in supporting legal proceedings against social media hoaxes.