Instant messaging and VoIP social platforms support private and group communication through text, voice, video, and media. These platforms often have hundreds of millions of active users and are among the most visited websites worldwide.

Users can join virtual communities, typically themed around specific topics or interests, such as video games. These communities contain collections of chat rooms organized around sub-topics, and anyone can create a new community.

In this guide, we will explore tools and techniques to collect publicly available information across these virtual communities. Accessing such platforms during an internet investigation can provide visibility into conversations, associations, and behaviors within specific networks of individuals.