January is traditionally the time when we reflect on the past year and often make overly ambitious plans for the year ahead. There are past projects and events that stand out, leading us to think more about how we should frame our work and what lessons to draw from it. One of those events for…
In a very short period of time, since armed conflict broke out in the country’s northern Tigray region in November 2020, the Ethiopian Air Force has become a major operator of the world’s second-tier armed drone platforms. Produced by Turkey, China, and Iran, these aircraft are affordable, effective, and (most importantly) available for purchase with…
In this three-part series, we focus on key elements behind the successful crowd-sourcing project, Decode Surveillance NYC, including the design of the data collection, early analysis, and what it means to build community online. Sofia Caferri, who joined the project team as a volunteer moderator, reflects on how the discussion forum became a space for…
Part Three: Keywords and advanced search This third and final post in a series on conducting online inquiries explores the importance of researching digital media landscapes, constructing effective keyword searches, and documenting the online inquiry process. Introduction In the two previous posts in this series, we have discussed sources of bias that can negatively impact…
A combination of the summer in the Northern Hemisphere and many of the team finally taking leave has meant that we haven’t posted on Citizen Evidence Lab for several weeks. While we finish-up various posts that are under production, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on how this blog enriches our work, and…
Part Two: Browser and search engine basics In the second of this three-part guide examining open source information gathering, we look at the basic tools used for online inquiries, selecting the best ones for the job, and how to use them most effectively. Introduction In the first part of this blog series on conducting effective…
Five videos portraying a gruesome series of events appeared online in early March. First published by Tigrai Media House, a media outlet affiliated with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), they depict the detention and eventual execution of a group of unarmed men purportedly in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where a non-international armed conflict…
Part One: Sources of bias when gathering open source information In the first of this three-part guide examining open source information gathering, we look at the potential for information bias to influence an investigation and the importance of mitigating such biases when designing an effective research methodology Introduction While not usually given as much attention…
Rumours of possible voter intimidation and potential protest were rife ahead of the U.S. Presidential Election on 3 November, 2020. In response, Amnesty International Berkeley Digital Verification Corps (DVC) began preparations to carry out real-time open source monitoring of social media during the elections — a massive undertaking that required planning, coordination, and a thoroughly…
On 15 November 2019, Iran erupted in protest. Abrupt rises in fuel costs, a direct consequence of the sudden withdrawal of state subsidies, ignited nearly two weeks of nationwide demonstrations. Protesters soon went beyond economic grievances in their chants and slogans, calling for a radical overhaul of the political system, including constitutional reforms and an…
Amnesty International investigation ‘A web of impunity: The killings Iran’s internet shutdown hid’ is the latest addition to a mounting pile of evidence highlighting a disturbing trend– hiding human rights violations through internet shutdowns. This tactic is fast becoming a favourite of rights-violating governments around the world. As anti-establishment protests swept across Iran in November…
This post is documentation of the RightsCon session titled ‘Using data ethically in humanitarian, human rights, and open source investigations,’ hosted by The Engine Room. The session was organized and moderated by Laura Guzmán (The Engine Room) and co-facilitated by Jonathan Drake (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Sophie Dyer (Amnesty International, FemOS) and…