Newly released emails show Epstein in 2011 discussing GPS-tracking shoes to track kids and clients, with Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem. From an OSINT perspective, what stands out is not the concept itself, but how long the technology had already existed before it appeared in those emails. 🟦 Timeline of the Technology 1998: Enemy of the State The film (released on VHS btw), depicts real-time tracking via devices hidden in Will Smith’s shoes, clothing, and personal items as he is being tracked by NSA. While presented as fiction, the techniques reflected surveillance capabilities already tested or deployed at the time. 2007: Commercial GPS Shoes GTX publicly launched GPS-enabled footwear marketed for child safety, dementia patients, and remote monitoring. In other words: consumer-level tracking shoes were already on the market four years before the emails. 2011: Epstein Emails The idea reappears, framed as an “innovation,” despite the concept being well-established both in media and in commercial technology. 🟦 Why This Matters (OSINT Lens) The progression shows a familiar pattern in surveillance tech: 1. Hollywood normalizes it (1998) 2. Industry commercializes it (2007) 3. Private actors take interest (2011) 4. Public suddenly notices (years later) For investigators, it’s a reminder that: - Technologies framed as “new” often have a 20+ year operational history. - Pop-culture depictions can serve as early indicators of real-world capabilities. - Public shock rarely aligns with the actual development timeline. 🎬 Movie Tip For context and historical framing, revisit Enemy of the State (1998). Its portrayal of shoe-based tracking predates the 2007 commercial products and the 2011 emails by a wide margin, making it a valuable cultural reference for understanding the evolution of surveillance technology. Have a nice weekend! @cultrodistro

If you want to understand social engineering and OSINT in action watch Focus starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie. The film may look like a con artist romance, but Focus is a cinematic masterclass in human intelligence, psychological profiling, and information extraction through observation. You’ll see: - How body language reveals intent - How micro-details expose deception - How distraction and misdirection manipulate targets - How social context gives access to information others overlook Every great investigator knows: information isn’t always hidden, it’s performed. OSINT isn’t just about data. It’s about people.