Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) seems to have reshaped the way journalists and citizens alike uncover the truth. The examples throughout the readings from Syria and Ukraine illustrate just how powerful this tool can be, as it offers a glimpse into what the future might look like if more people utilized OSINT. The findings highlighted in the articles and videos this week have been startling. By utilizing seemingly insignificant fragments of already public information, journalists are exposing atrocities on a massive scale. The airstrikes in Idlib outlined in the Human Rights Watch article is just one compelling example.
Overall, this strategy has the potential to increase transparency, empower the general public, and even help shape global discourse. Perhaps the tool’s most important impact lies in its ability to help shape public narratives. Open-source investigations in many respects do not just seek to uncover the truth; they seek to control the story that is being told. In many of these countries, the citizens who post articles, images, and videos don’t have the audience or authority to speak about what is happening on the ground. That is where open-source investigations become so important, because they are able to amplify the voices of those who are often ignored or forgotten.
Although open-source investigations seem to do a tremendous amount of good, I am still skeptical as to how much accountability these investigations are able to get. For example, although the readings this week show that journalists are doing groundbreaking work, justice is still not being achieved. In the video published by Al Jazeera, it is clear that proof is being acquired to help show the world what is actually happening on the ground. In the case of the Uyghur population in China, the investigations have proven that prison-like re-education camps exist, but these investigations have done very little to help fix the actual problem on the ground. Placing all the responsibility on these open-source investigations and investigators isn’t fair, but I think it is important to acknowledge the impact these investigations have on the ground. Syria perfectly demonstrates this tension. Although Syria has had one of the most documented wars in recent memory, prosecution and accountability has still lagged behind. Furthermore, the risks involved are substantial for everyone. As journalist James Palmer noted in the video, some of his sources have simply disappeared.
Finally, I think it is important to mention that one of OSINT’s biggest advantages is that there are countless independent non-state open-source intelligence organizations that actively work to uncover the truth. Yet, unfortunately, as the State Magazine article shows, organizations or programs that get funding from the government and the Department of State, for example, are extremely vulnerable to political whim and pressure. By canceling the work done by the Yale Lab, the Trump administration essentially helped highlight how vulnerable this work is, despite how crucial the work is all over the world. As technology develops, the potential influence OSINT can have is important to remember. In an age where public trust in media and journalists is at an all time low, this form of investigation has the potential to reshape public trust altogether.
