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You Are Being Watched: What Faceprints Mean for Generation Y
On July 18, YouTube launched a new tool that would enable users to blur the faces in the videos they uploaded, thereby protecting the identities of people featured in them. The platform explicitly identified the human rights threat as a primary motivator for this online technological development.
WITNESS
August 21, 2012
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The (Virtual) Bystander Effect: Witnessing Human Rights Abuse Online
When a video goes viral, millions of people become witnesses. Whether it is a clumsy kitten, an adorable child, or a gruesome protest, we as viewers are transported to that moment. We see everything. We hear everything. But we change nothing.
WITNESS
July 20, 2012
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Whose Media Is It?: How Police Requests for Unreleased Footage Blur the Line Between News and Evidence
A near 6-month battle between British news broadcasters and the police has recently concluded: last December’s court decision that ordered television companies including BBC, ITN, and Sky News to surrender to police hours of unaired footage from the violent October 19th Dale Farm eviction, was thrown out. Journalists are now hailing the decision as a landmark victory in the fight for news neutrality and confidentiality.
WITNESS
May 31, 2012
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Tactical and Technological Defences For Facial Recognition Technology
In my last post I looked at how facial recognition technology (FRT) works, how it's now in our phones, social networks and media management, and how legislators and regulators are reacting to this. But it's also increasingly used by law enforcement and for surveillance of "public" spaces.
WITNESS
May 18, 2012
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The Face of a Revolution: Debating Privacy in the Digital Age
You probably know a 26-year-old woman. Is she your sister? Friend, or daughter? Perhaps she’s fiery and stubborn. Perhaps she takes singing lessons. Perhaps she’s engaged to be married.
WITNESS
March 11, 2012
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WITNESS, Technology and #Video4Change at #SXSW
WITNESS is at #SXSWInteractive, one of the world's largest conferences focused on interactive technologies and online innovation.
Sam Gregory
March 10, 2012
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U.S. Needs Strong Privacy Protections for Digital Communications
One of the most cherished rights in the United States is the Constitution's Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable government searches, which has long protected the privacy of Americans’ homes and communications. But as technology has rapidly advanced, this right—long a crown jewel of U.S. civil liberties—has not been fully applied to protect digital communications.
WITNESS
November 7, 2011
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The ICC’s Lubanga Trial Nears Close: Will Child Soldiers Receive Justice?
The Lubanga trial is coming to an end as the prosecutors, victims' representatives and the defense counsel make their closing statements in the submission of evidence phase before the trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
WITNESS
August 30, 2011
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Crowd-Sourcing Surveillance: When Does Little Brother Get Too Big?
On June 16, riots swept downtown Vancouver after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Final of the NHL’s Stanley Cup. The online response to the riots—a public campaign to name and shame rioters followed by a heated discussion regarding whether naming and shaming constitutes vigilantism or community policing—still rages.
WITNESS
July 5, 2011
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Cameras Everywhere: Our New Leadership Initiative
Here at WITNESS we're in the midst of exciting development on all our new programmatic initiatives. One of these is our 'Cameras Everywhere' Leadership initiative, which we'd like to introduce in this blog.
Sam Gregory
January 19, 2011
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The Ethical Engagements of Human Rights Social Media
The explosion of digital media on human rights pushes us all to rethink how documentary film ethics apply in a more networked, social media-driven era.
Sam Gregory
November 22, 2010
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Your Ideas on Human Rights and Free Expression on YouTube
This is the fourth in an occasional blog series about human rights video, written by Steve Grove, Head of News & Politics at YouTube, and Sameer Padania, former Hub Manager at WITNESS, cross-posted from YouTube’s blog. As always, we welcome your comments and feedback.
WITNESS
September 21, 2010
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What do you think about human rights (and your rights) online?
Government police shutting down farmer’s protests in China. A tobacco company employing under-age workers in Kazakhstan. Iranian merchants striking to protest tax increases in Tehran.
WITNESS
August 24, 2010
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Landmark Decision – Prop 8 Ruling
Thursday August 5th, 2010, was a victory day for the LGBT community. California's Prop 8 ruling was deemed unconstitutional in a landmark decision by Justice Vaughn R. Walker of the California Federal Court. The Rachel Maddow Show sums it up very well on MSNBC.
WITNESS
August 6, 2010
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Presumed Guilty: Documentary Puts Mexican Legal System on Trial
Toño Zúñiga was just your average aspiring rapper and break dancer who made a living running a small electronics repair stand.
WITNESS
July 7, 2010