The Essential Guide to Open-Source Sleuthing: How to Investigate Without Causing Any Harm

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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The writer is director for research and training at Bellingcat and an assistant professor with the Global Justice Investigations Lab at Utrecht University

It has been challenging to avoid the horrific footage in the news this past week. Since Hamas initiated its attack on Israel, individuals on the ground have been recording the violence that has resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 people and sharing it online. There are mobile phone videos recorded by the victims of the massacre at the Supernova Sukkot festival, where Hamas militants killed at least 260 partygoers. There are also videos of Israeli air strikes on apartment buildings in Gaza and their aftermath, showing the mangled remains of residents.

While there are numerous authentic images demonstrating the scale of the atrocities, there is also a disturbing amount of online disinformation regarding the conflict. Conspiracy theorists, grifters, and misguided influencers have taken to social media, specifically Elon Musk’s X, to spread lies in search of influence. Recycled footage from past conflicts is widespread: last week, for instance, Bellingcat demonstrated that a video allegedly showing Hamas firing rockets into Israel actually dated back to at least 2020. Like all disinformation, these videos confuse rather than clarify, providing an inaccurate picture of a volatile and evolving situation when accuracy is crucial. Worst case scenario, they could manipulate decision makers into taking action based on completely fabricated information.

For professional open-source researchers like myself and my colleagues, none of this is new. We have been monitoring social media all week for images coming from both Israel and Gaza. Our mission is to identify, archive, and analyze these images in an attempt to uncover details about what has been happening. Many of them document horrific crimes. Preserving them may carry legal implications in the future, and they may one day serve as evidence against those responsible for these offenses. In our work on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for example, we have documented thousands of images showing harm to civilians and damage to Ukrainian infrastructure. We are now collaborating with the Global Legal Action Network to transform our analysis into evidence that will withstand the rigor of a courtroom.

Fortunately, we are not the only ones engaged in this work. News organizations are also monitoring social media for the same purpose. Additionally, there is a growing number of amateur open-source researchers worldwide who dedicate their free time to uncovering atrocities. These individuals form the backbone of the online open-source research community, and this week they have mobilized to archive and verify images in a sea of disinformation. This epitomizes the core promise of open-source investigations: the idea that anyone with time, an internet connection, and a determined commitment to establishing facts can make significant contributions to our collective knowledge.

However, for the uninitiated, there are serious risks. On X, users can easily fall prey to accounts claiming to be authorities on the conflict, sharing images from platforms like Telegram without providing sources or proper context. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that it is now simple to purchase a blue verification checkmark. Without the technical expertise to verify an image and determine its origin, the average user is at the mercy of accounts seeking to maximize engagement for their own benefit. We don’t have to look far to see how countries such as Russia have exploited social media platforms to spread disinformation and sway public opinion in their favor.

Aside from the dangers of creating or amplifying disinformation, there is also a risk to researchers themselves. It is my responsibility to monitor conflicts like the current one in Israel and Gaza, and to investigate atrocities like those we have witnessed this week. My colleagues and I have access to trauma treatment specialists, unlike the amateur researchers monitoring the conflict online. While the ability of the open-source community to mobilize quickly is its greatest strength, it can also expose unprepared individuals to unimaginable atrocities depicted in high-resolution imagery.

The promise of open-source research is here to stay. More and more people around the world are utilizing these tools and methods to take an active interest in what is happening around them. This is a positive development. At the same time, amateurs must be aware of their responsibilities both to those who consume their material and to themselves. Without maintaining rigorous standards, they risk contributing to the toxic spread of disinformation that has characterized the first week of this conflict. This will only fuel ignorance and confusion about the true events on the ground.