• Eyes on Internet Shutdowns: Documenting for Human Rights This is the first of a series of posts to mark the official launch of WITNESS’s global campaign on internet shutdowns, that highlights community strategies for documenting human rights abuses during a shutdown. Visit the campaign homepage to stay updated about new resources. This blog post is available in Spanish, Arabic and Farsi. In an impassioned […] Meghana Bahar September 1, 2021
  • Downloading Livestreams and Other Videos from Social Media If you’re looking for how to film a livestream yourself, go here. Viewers around the world are witnessing in real-time as hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar take to the streets to oppose the 2021 military coup. Activists’ and ordinary people’s livestreams on Facebook and other platforms are capturing mass protests, arrests, and violence […] Yvonne Ng March 8, 2021
  • Archivists’ Victory over Overbroad Copyright Claim A joint statement from Human Rights Watch, Mnemonic, and WITNESS, with lead authoring by Deborah Brown, Senior Researcher and Advocate on Digital Rights, and Gabriela Ivens, Head of Open Source Research, at Human Rights Watch.  November 25, 2020 A decision by GitHub, a leading software development platform, to reinstate a popular free software tool for downloading videos, […] WITNESS November 25, 2020
  • 4 new resources to help activists use video during COVID19 Filming and sharing documentation for human rights can expose injustices, put a spotlight on stories rarely heard, and create movements that hold perpetrators and decision-makers accountable. But if advocating for accountability is dangerous on a normal day, even more so during a global pandemic. This is why the WITNESS team is devoted to working with […] Dalila Mujagic May 7, 2020
  • Tracing trust: Why we must build authenticity infrastructure that works for all May 2020 TLDR: Coronavirus has dramatically increased the stakes for how we deal with issues of manipulated, fake and deceptive video and audio online, with governments, companies and publics responding to the need to discern truth from falsehood. One solution to misinformation and disinformation is to better track what is authentic, what is manipulated and […] Sam Gregory May 6, 2020
  • What’s needed in deepfakes detection? April 2020 Misinformation and disinformation are a critical problem for societies worldwide. In response, WITNESS’s work addressing new forms of media manipulation such as deepfakes and synthetic media is focused on preparing better, and advancina a more global, human rights-lead approach to these emerging threats. Learning from previous and current mis/disinformation challenges, where critical impacted […] Sam Gregory April 27, 2020
  • Making Your Metadata Matter, Part 2 We’re pleased to welcome guest bloggers Wendy Betts and Raquel Vazquez Llorente here to share their insights on documentation apps and metadata for legal purposes. Wendy Betts is the Director of eyeWitness to Atrocities, an organization that combines legal and technological expertise to aid investigations and promote accountability for international crimes. Raquel Vazquez Llorente is […] WITNESS April 7, 2020
  • Making Your Metadata Matter Metadata plays a crucial role in authenticating and verifying human rights footage for external audiences. When you are assessing which documentation app to use, it is important you fully understand the metadata collected by the app. This blog outlines the questions we recommend you ask. WITNESS March 31, 2020
  • Documenting During Internet Shutdowns With contributions by Arul Prakkash Also available in Burmese (pdf), Arabic, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. Last reviewed: 31 January 2020 In June 2019, as human rights abuses and a humanitarian crisis were continuing in Myanmar, the country’s Ministry of Transport and Communication directed telecom companies to shut down their mobile internet service in parts of Rakhine State […] Yvonne Ng February 3, 2020
  • Setting Up a Phone for Offline Documentation This post is part of a series on Documenting During Internet Shutdowns.  Also available in Arabic, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. With contributions by Arul Prakkash. Last reviewed: 31 January 2020 Embed from Getty Images Despite an internet shutdown, documenters can still capture important video evidence that can be shared offline or when they are able to […] Yvonne Ng February 3, 2020
  • Should I Use This Documentation App? This post is part of a series on Documenting During Internet Shutdowns. Also available in Arabic, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. With contributions by Arul Prakkash. Last reviewed: 31 January 2020 There are many apps that documenters can use to capture video, ranging from your phone’s native camera app, to more specialized documentation apps like ProofMode, Tella, […] Yvonne Ng February 3, 2020
  • Maintaining Verifiable Media During an Internet Shutdown This post is part of a series on Documenting During Internet Shutdowns. With contributions by Arul Prakkash. Also available in Arabic, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. Last reviewed: 31 January 2020 Human rights defenders, investigators, researchers, and journalists often rely on first-hand documentation filmed by witnesses to monitor, report, and address human rights violations. To ensure that they […] Yvonne Ng February 3, 2020
  • Backing Up Phone Media Without Internet or a Computer This post is part of a series on Documenting During Internet Shutdowns. Also available in Arabic, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. With contributions by Arul Prakkash Last reviewed: 31 January 2020 Backup is key to ensuring your data and documentation are not accidentally deleted, corrupted, or lost if your device is confiscated. During an internet shutdown or slowdown, […] Yvonne Ng February 3, 2020
  • File Sharing and Communication During an Internet Shutdown This post is part of a series on Documenting During Internet Shutdowns. With contributions by Arul Prakkash. Also available in Arabic, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. Last reviewed: 31 January 2020 Embed from Getty Images The ongoing internet shutdown and crackdown in Kashmir, the longest internet shutdown ever imposed in a democracy, has had a catastrophic impact on […] Yvonne Ng February 3, 2020
  • Cyber-Violence against the Marginalised in Sri Lanka Digital community spaces serve as important tools for Sri Lankan women and the LBT community. A recent research study conducted by Groundviews reveal that deep-rooted misogynistic attitudes driven by hate and fear drive cyber-violence against the marginalised. Meghana Bahar September 6, 2019