Introduction

Open Source Investigation by Eliot Higgins

Watch the featured part (one minute and 10 seconds) of the interview by VPRO here

Continuation of Eliot's presentation

Are you using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and do you have volunteers to help you?

Does Telegram still include the metadata when someone sends a picture?

What kind of verification do you do on the notices?

Where can we access the Atlos platform?

Besides social media, where do you get the raw material for analysis, e.g. satellite imagery in short notice, aerial videos, etc.?

Where can you get higher resolution images like those shown in the presentation?

Are there risks for volunteers participating in OSINT (harassment, etc.)?

Are there ethical issues with using satellite imagery?

Have you ever provided material, analysis, findings, etc. to the IIIM (International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism) for Syria (UN), which is responsible for investigating crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc. in Syria?

What places and literature would you recommend to improve your OSINT skills, geospatial or otherwise?

What conflicts in the world today do you think are underreported from an open source intelligence perspective?

What software or website do you use to get up-to-date satellite imagery? Do you switch between different solutions?

How can one benefit from Bellingcat's OSINT investigative training?

How do you deal with mental health in your job?

OSINT-based reporting can sometimes backfire for journalists living in a dictatorial country. Do you have any advice on this?

Would you say that informants and sources have lost value because of OSINT work like yours?

Can you repeat how you determine when an image was taken?

To what extent have you moved to the use of AI? Particularly in plant detection and recognising potential areas? Are there particular methods that you'd recommend but aren't as well known yet?

"Disinformation efforts are becoming more sophisticated as actors learn from their 'mistakes'." - Do you see this happening, and if so, how much more difficult does it make investigations? Do you need new methods/tools to stay ahead of them?

Have you used video footage (from the ground and from drones) to reconstruct the scenes into 3D models using photogrammetry, which can provide even more detail about shooting directions or destruction? These 3D models can be georeferenced and placed on a map to show the scenes before and after the destruction in even more detail.

Conclusion