We Are Bellingcat

1. Open-source investigation revolutionizes fact-finding in the digital age

"Paradoxically, in this age of online disinformation, facts are easier to come by than ever."

Digital revolution in investigation. The rise of smartphones and social media has created an unprecedented wealth of information available to anyone with an internet connection. This democratization of data has given birth to a new field: open-source investigation. By analyzing social media posts, satellite imagery, and publicly available databases, amateur sleuths can now uncover truths that were once the exclusive domain of professional journalists and government intelligence agencies.

Bellingcat's emergence. Founded by Eliot Higgins in 2014, Bellingcat has become the leading organization in this new field. Starting as a blog run by Higgins in his spare time, it has grown into a global network of investigators who have:

• Exposed war crimes in Syria
• Identified those responsible for downing Flight MH17
• Uncovered Russian assassination attempts abroad

Bellingcat's success demonstrates that ordinary citizens, armed with digital tools and determination, can hold powerful actors accountable in ways never before possible.

2. The Brown Moses blog: Unraveling conflicts through social media

"I, along with my improvised team of online collaborators, had proved little. We did not yet know whether a Buk had shot down the passenger plane, let alone this particular Buk. Nor did we know for certain who had been in possession of the Buk, where it had come from, or who had supplied it."

From amateur to expert. Eliot Higgins, an office worker with no formal training in journalism or military affairs, began analyzing YouTube videos of the Syrian conflict in 2011. His blog, Brown Moses, quickly gained attention for its detailed breakdowns of weapons and tactics used in the war. Key achievements include:

• Identifying specific types of munitions used by Syrian forces
• Tracking the flow of weapons to rebel groups
• Exposing the use of cluster bombs and barrel bombs

Collaborative power of the internet. Higgins' work demonstrated the potential of crowdsourced investigation. By sharing his findings openly online, he attracted a community of experts and enthusiasts who contributed their own knowledge and analysis. This collaborative approach allowed Brown Moses to uncover truths that even well-resourced news organizations were missing.

3. Chemical weapons and the power of collaborative online sleuthing

"We had stumbled onto a gap in the information system – one that I have spent every day since working to fill."

Exposing atrocities. The August 2013 chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria, marked a turning point for open-source investigation. While governments debated responsibility, Higgins and his network analyzed videos and satellite imagery to:

• Identify the specific type of rockets used to deliver the sarin gas
• Geolocate the launch sites
• Link the weapons to Assad's forces

Challenging official narratives. This work not only provided crucial evidence of war crimes but also demonstrated the limitations of traditional intelligence gathering. Higgins found that many policymakers and officials knew far less about the conflict than he had learned through open sources. This realization underscored the potential for citizen investigators to inform public debate and shape policy responses to global crises.

4. MH17: Bellingcat's breakthrough in citizen journalism

"The Bellingcat method is that: click the links and check our conclusions for yourself."

Collaborative investigation. The downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine in July 2014 became Bellingcat's defining case. Through meticulous analysis of social media posts, satellite imagery, and leaked databases, the team:

• Tracked the movement of the Buk missile launcher responsible for the attack
• Identified the specific Russian military unit that supplied the weapon
• Exposed the Kremlin's attempts to cover up its involvement

Transparency and credibility. Bellingcat's approach to the MH17 investigation set new standards for transparency in journalism. Every piece of evidence was presented with its source, allowing anyone to verify the findings independently. This methodology not only bolstered the credibility of Bellingcat's work but also made it more difficult for those implicated to deny the truth.

5. Battling disinformation and the rise of the Counterfactual Community

"The definition of 'whistleblower' was the wrong term for the two complainants. They are individuals who could not accept that their views were not backed by evidence. When their views could not gain traction, they took matters into their own hands and breached their obligations to the organization."

Disinformation ecosystem. As Bellingcat's influence grew, so did the efforts to discredit its work. A loose network of conspiracy theorists, state propagandists, and "alternative media" outlets emerged to challenge factual reporting on controversial events. This "Counterfactual Community" operates by:

• Flooding the internet with multiple, often contradictory narratives
• Exploiting genuine skepticism to sow doubt about established facts
• Recycling debunked claims across various platforms to create the illusion of corroboration

Building a firewall of facts. Bellingcat's response to this challenge has been to double down on rigorous methodology and transparency. By meticulously documenting their investigative process and inviting public scrutiny of their evidence, they've created a model for combating disinformation that relies on facts rather than ideology.

6. From Syrian atrocities to Russian assassins: Exposing state crimes

"We had now identified the two-man 'hit squad': a war-hardened GRU colonel, Anatoliy Chepiga, along with a Russian military doctor, Alexander Mishkin, who perhaps attended to maintain their safety around the nerve agent."

Unmasking covert operations. Bellingcat's investigations have repeatedly exposed the activities of state intelligence agencies, particularly those of Russia. Notable cases include:

• Identifying the Russian military intelligence officers responsible for the Skripal poisoning in Salisbury, UK
• Uncovering a secret Russian unit specializing in assassinations and sabotage across Europe
• Linking the Kremlin to the downing of MH17 and chemical attacks in Syria

Methodology evolution. These high-stakes investigations required Bellingcat to develop new techniques and push the boundaries of open-source research. The team began incorporating:

• Analysis of leaked databases
• Advanced social media mining
• Collaboration with traditional journalists for on-the-ground corroboration

This work has not only exposed specific crimes but also revealed broader patterns of state-sponsored violence and deception.

7. The future of open-source investigation: AI, deepfakes, and global collaboration

"Citizens' projects sound less impressive than war coverage, but they could have an international impact. Each such inquiry – whether documenting a health hazard, or chronicling wildlife migration, or exposing environmental degradation – could inspire others elsewhere."

Technological challenges and opportunities. The rise of deepfakes and sophisticated AI-generated content poses new challenges for verification. However, these same technologies also offer powerful tools for investigators:

• AI can help sift through vast amounts of data to identify relevant information
• Machine learning algorithms can detect patterns invisible to human analysts
• Virtual reality may allow for more immersive reconstructions of events

Democratizing investigation. Bellingcat's success has inspired a global movement of citizen investigators. The organization is now focused on:

• Training the next generation of open-source researchers
• Collaborating with established news organizations and human rights groups
• Developing new tools and methodologies to stay ahead of bad actors

The ultimate goal is to create a world where the truth is harder to hide, and where ordinary citizens have the power to hold the powerful accountable through rigorous, fact-based investigation.

Last updated: August 31, 2024