Bellingcat (stylised as bell¿ngcat) is a Netherlands-based investigative journalism website that specialises in fact-checking and open-source intelligence (OSINT). It was founded by British journalist and former blogger Eliot Higgins in July 2014. Bellingcat publishes the findings of both professional and citizen journalist investigations into war zones, human rights abuses, and the criminal underworld. The site’s contributors also publish guides to their techniques, as well as case studies.
—Wikipedia, “Bellingcat”
Bellingcat is an independent international collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists using open source and social media investigation to probe a variety of subjects – from Mexican drug lords and crimes against humanity, to tracking the use of chemical weapons and conflicts worldwide. With staff and contributors in more than 20 countries around the world, we operate in a unique field where advanced technology, forensic research, journalism, investigations, transparency and accountability come together.
Bellingcat’s innovative approaches to using publicly available data and citizen journalist analysis have been particularly significant for advancing narratives of conflict, crime, and human rights abuses. Bellingcat is part of the Global Investigative Journalism Network.
—Bellingcat, “About“
The data detectives at Bellingcat showed 60 Minutes how social media is providing evidence of alleged Russian war crimes and other atrocities.
How Bellingcat is using TikTok to investigate the war in Ukraine Read More
Painstaking new techniques for archiving social media posts could provide crucial evidence in future prosecutions.
The Race to Archive Social Posts That May Prove Russian War Crimes Read More
From Sergei Skripal to Alexei Navalny, Russia’s attempts to silence its enemies have been forensically exposed. At the centre of these revelations has been investigative unit Bellingcat
How Bellingcat uncovered Russia’s secret network of assassins Read More
With more videos and images coming to light each day, Bellingcat and members of its Global Authentication Project have begun to log and map these incidents on an interactive TimeMap.
Hospitals Bombed and Apartments Destroyed: Mapping Incidents of Civilian Harm in Ukraine Read More
It takes five minutes to put a name to a soldier’s face using little more than a screenshot, but there’s a catch.
Online Sleuths Are Using Face Recognition to ID Russian Soldiers Read More
Roman Dobrokhotov has been playing a dangerous game for a Russian reporter: identifying agents of the GRU military intelligence agency.
The Russian Sleuth Who Outs Moscow’s Elite Hackers and Assassins Read More