How Data-Driven Journalism Illuminates Patterns of Injustice | Alison Killing | TED

Summary

The speaker discusses their investigation into the mass detention campaign in Xinjiang, China, using online and open-source data to uncover the scale and nature of the detention centers. They describe their collaboration with journalist Megha Rajagopalan and the innovative techniques employed, such as satellite imagery and mapping obscured locations on Baidu Total View, leading to the identification of over 348 potential camp and prison sites. The talk highlights the power of open-source data in challenging government narratives and promoting human rights accountability.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ The speaker explored Kashgar, Xinjiang, a region in northwest China, through online media during a critical time of increased security measures in October 2017.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The use of online and open-source investigations has significantly grown in journalism and human rights monitoring, utilizing various digital tools and traces.
• 📸 Social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, along with satellite imagery and 3D modeling, have become essential tools in investigative journalism.
• 🤝 The collaboration between professionals from different fields, such as software developers and architects, has broadened the scope of investigative work.
• 🏛️ The Chinese government's campaign in Xinjiang involves oppression against Turkic Muslims, including the Uyghurs, with over a million people estimated to be detained.
• 🚫 The Chinese government's control over the internet and restrictions on journalists have made it difficult to gather information about the situation in Xinjiang.
• 🗺️ Satellite imagery, which the Chinese government cannot control, provided crucial information about the detention camps in Xinjiang.
• 🔍 The speaker's team discovered a technique to identify the locations of detention camps by observing blank spots on Baidu Total View, similar to Google Street View.
• 🏢 Through satellite imagery and corroborating evidence, the investigation revealed the existence of 348 locations with the characteristics of camps and prisons.
• 🌐 The use of open-source data has allowed for challenges to government narratives and provided real-time evidence of human rights abuses and conflicts, such as in Syria and Ukraine.
• 🛠️ Access to affordable and up-to-date satellite imagery and preservation of social media content are essential for researchers and human rights advocates.

Q & A

Where is Kashgar located?

Kashgar is located in Xinjiang, which is in the northwest of China.

What period in time is the speaker referring to when they mention the city's experience through videos and social media?

The speaker is referring to October 2017, a key moment when the mass detention campaign in the region was beginning.

What are some of the visual signs of the crackdown that the speaker mentions?

The visual signs of the crackdown include checkpoints with metal detectors, ID checks and iris scans, pervasive CCTV cameras, and riot police on every corner.

How have online and open-source investigations evolved over the past decade?

Over the past decade, online and open-source investigations have become more prevalent in journalism and human rights monitoring, utilizing photographs, videos, digital traces, satellite imagery, 3D modeling, and traditional journalistic techniques.

What is the role of social media data in modern investigations?

Social media data is combined with tools like satellite imagery and 3D modeling to conduct investigations, as well as to corroborate information and provide additional evidence of events or situations.

What is the significance of satellite imagery in the investigation of human rights issues?

Satellite imagery is significant because it provides a source of information that is not controlled by the governments involved, allowing for independent verification of situations on the ground.

What did the speaker and their team discover about Baidu Total View?

They discovered that buildings and facilities were being photoshopped out of ground level imagery in Baidu Total View, which led them to believe that detention camps in Xinjiang were being obscured in the same way.

How did the speaker and their team identify the locations of detention camps?

They identified the locations by looking for blank spots or gray squares in Baidu Total View's satellite images, which indicated that the camps were being obscured, and then cross-referenced these locations with other unaltered satellite imagery.

What was the role of Christo Buschek in the investigation?

Christo Buschek, a developer specializing in documenting human rights issues, helped map the masked-tile locations to identify and confirm the existence of the detention camps.

How many locations bearing the hallmarks of camps and prisons did the team find in total?

The team found 348 locations that had the characteristics of camps and prisons.

What broader implications does the use of open-source data have for journalism and human rights?

Open-source data allows for evidence of human rights abuses to be provided in a way that wasn't possible before, enabling the examination of the scale of violations, corroboration of eyewitness testimonies, and informing policymakers or providing evidence for legal proceedings.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Exploring Kashgar and the Onset of Detention Campaigns

The speaker discusses their virtual exploration of Kashgar, a city in Xinjiang, China, through social media during October 2017. They highlight the visual evidence of the mass detention campaign's beginning, noting the increased security measures such as checkpoints, CCTV cameras, and riot police. The speaker emphasizes the importance of online and open-source investigations in journalism and human rights monitoring, especially in areas with restricted access for journalists. They share their personal involvement in investigating the situation in Xinjiang after meeting a journalist who had been denied visa renewal by Chinese authorities. The speaker also discusses the Chinese government's efforts to control information and the challenges in uncovering the truth about the detention camps.

05:01

🔍 Uncovering the Hidden Network of Detention Camps

The speaker delves into the methodology of using satellite imagery and open-source data to identify and map the network of detention camps in Xinjiang. They explain how the Chinese government's attempt to obscure certain locations on Baidu Total View inadvertently revealed the camps' locations. The speaker worked with a developer to map these masked-tile locations and cross-reference them with other satellite imagery, government documents, media reports, and interviews with former detainees. They discovered 348 locations with the hallmarks of camps and prisons, capable of detaining over a million people, which is a significant proportion of Xinjiang's population.

10:04

📸 Open-Source Data and Accountability

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the power of open-source data in holding governments accountable for human rights abuses. They mention the use of social media and satellite imagery in documenting and corroborating instances of human rights violations, not only in Xinjiang but also in other conflict zones like Syria and Ukraine. The speaker argues that this data allows for a broader understanding of the scale of abuses and provides evidence that can inform policymakers or be used in legal proceedings. They call for continued access to such data and the preservation of social media content that serves as crucial evidence.

Keywords

💡Kashgar

Kashgar is a city located in Xinjiang, northwest China. It is significant in the video as it is the place where the narrator explores and observes the changes occurring due to the mass detention campaign. The old town, bazaar, and mosques of Kashgar serve as a backdrop to the unfolding situation, highlighting the contrast between the city's cultural heritage and the oppressive measures being implemented.

💡Mass Detention Campaign

The mass detention campaign refers to the Chinese government's policy of forcibly detaining a large number of people, particularly Turkic Muslims, including the Uyghurs, in Xinjiang. This campaign is part of an alleged assimilation effort that has been internationally criticized as a human rights violation and even described as genocide. The video discusses this campaign as a key element of the situation in Xinjiang.

💡Checkpoints

Checkpoints are points of control set up by authorities to monitor and regulate the movement of people and vehicles. In the context of the video, checkpoints are used as a tool of surveillance and control in Xinjiang, where individuals are subjected to metal detectors, ID checks, and iris scans, symbolizing the heightened security measures and the oppressive environment.

💡CCTV Cameras

CCTV, or Closed-Circuit Television, cameras are video surveillance systems used for monitoring public spaces. In the video, these cameras are mentioned as part of the pervasive surveillance system in Xinjiang, which contributes to the atmosphere of control and monitoring of the population.

💡Online and Open-Source Investigations

Online and open-source investigations refer to the use of publicly available digital information, such as social media posts, satellite imagery, and online documents, to conduct research and gather evidence on various issues, particularly in journalism and human rights monitoring. The video highlights the importance of these methods in uncovering the truth about the situation in Xinjiang, despite government restrictions on information.

💡Riot Police

Riot police are specialized units of law enforcement trained to handle civil disorder, protests, and other situations requiring crowd control or the use of force. In the video, the presence of riot police on every corner in Xinjiang signifies the tense and repressive environment, with authorities ready to respond to any potential unrest.

💡Uyghurs

The Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group, and the largest population of Turkic Muslims in China, primarily residing in the Xinjiang region. The video discusses the oppression campaign against the Uyghurs as a central aspect of the Chinese government's policy in Xinjiang, which has led to their mass detention and alleged human rights abuses.

💡Detention Camps

Detention camps are facilities where people are held without trial, often under harsh conditions. In the context of the video, these camps are part of China's policy in Xinjiang, where it is estimated that over a million people have been detained. The camps are described as part of a 're-education' program by the Chinese government, but reports suggest they involve torture, abuse, and forced sterilization.

💡Satellite Imagery

Satellite imagery refers to the visual information captured by satellites orbiting the Earth, which can be used for various purposes, including monitoring and surveillance. In the video, satellite imagery is crucial for investigating and revealing the extent of the detention camp network in Xinjiang, as it provides information independent of the Chinese government's control.

💡Bellingcat

Bellingcat is an independent, open-source investigation group that uses digital tools and techniques to investigate and report on various issues, including conflict situations and human rights abuses. In the video, Bellingcat is mentioned as an example of researchers who use open-source data to investigate allegations of war crimes and hold governments accountable.

💡Open-Source Data

Open-source data refers to information that is publicly available and can be freely used, shared, and analyzed. In the context of the video, open-source data is crucial for journalistic investigations and human rights monitoring, as it allows researchers to gather and corroborate evidence from various sources without reliance on controlled or restricted information.

Highlights

Exploration of Kashgar, Xinjiang, northwest China, and its cultural sites.

Experience of the city during a critical period: October 2017, coinciding with the mass detention campaign.

Utilization of YouTube videos and Instagram posts for understanding the city's situation.

The rise of online and open-source investigations in journalism and human rights monitoring.

Diverse professionals, including architects, contributing to journalism through digital tools.

China's campaign of oppression against Turkic Muslims, particularly the Uyghurs, in Xinjiang.

Over a million people estimated to be detained in camps as part of a forcible assimilation campaign.

Chinese government's control over the internet and restrictions on journalists in the region.

Challenges in locating detention camps across the vast Xinjiang region.

Use of satellite imagery as a source of information uncontrollable by the Chinese government.

Discovery of photoshopped buildings and facilities in Baidu Total View, the Chinese equivalent of Google Street View.

Technique developed to identify detention camp locations through blank spots in satellite images.

Collaboration with developer Christo Buschek to map the locations of masked tiles.

Investigation of camp evolution from makeshift facilities to larger, high-security, purpose-built complexes.

Identification of 348 locations with characteristics of camps and prisons in Xinjiang.

Chinese vlogger Guanguan's verification of camp locations through on-the-ground video footage.

The power of open-source data in challenging government narratives and providing evidence of human rights abuses.

The necessity of affordable access to satellite imagery and preservation of social media data for journalistic investigations.

Transcripts

Recently, I spent several days exploring Kashgar, a city in Xinjiang,

northwest China.

I got to wander the streets of the old town

and visit the bazaar and several mosques and take in the sights.

I've never been to Kashgar personally,

but through the YouTube videos and Instagram posts of tourists,

I was able to experience the city at a key moment in time:

October 2017,

just as the mass detention campaign in the region was gathering pace.

These videos could help us investigate the visual signs of the crackdown.

The checkpoints at each intersection with their metal detectors,

ID checks and iris scans,

the CCTV cameras which pervade the city

and the riot police on every corner.

Over the past decade,

online and open-source investigations

have taken off in the fields of journalism and human rights monitoring,

using photographs, videos

and the digital traces we leave behind as we use the internet

to conduct investigations.

Social media data is combined with tools like satellite imagery and 3D modelling,

as well as more traditional journalistic techniques like interviews

and searches of government documents.

It's also brought new kinds of people to journalism.

Software developers, animators, archaeologists,

or, like me, an architect.

I got involved in investigating Xinjiang in the summer of 2018

when I met Megha Rajagopalan, an American journalist

who had been working in China for several years.

Over the past few years,

China has been carrying out a campaign of oppression in Xinjiang

against Turkic Muslims,

including the largest group, the Uyghurs.

It's part of a campaign of forcible assimilation,

and several nations have described it as a genocide.

It's estimated that over a million people

have been disappeared into detention camps.

And while the Chinese government claims

that these are part of a benign program of re-education,

dozens of former detainees describe being tortured and abused

and women being forcibly sterilized.

And yet, for a long time,

we lacked information about what was happening in Xinjiang,

because the Chinese government controls the internet tightly

and restricts journalists' work in the region.

Journalists would be followed or detained,

and the authorities occasionally even went so far

as to set up fake roadworks or stage car crashes

to prevent access to certain roads.

Local people who did speak to journalists

face the risk of being sent to a detention camp for doing so.

Megha had been the first journalist to visit one of the camps.

But shortly after publishing her article,

the Chinese authorities declined to renew her visa, and she had to leave.

Other journalists had managed to visit a handful of the camps,

but this still represented a fraction of what we believed was out there,

and no one knew where the others were.

But Megha was keen to find the rest.

She just needed to find a way to work effectively from outside China.

Another challenge was that Xinjiang is huge.

It's four times the size of California,

and that made it difficult to look for a network of camps

that was spread across the region.

Satellite imagery could help to solve both of those problems.

But more importantly,

satellite imagery was a source of information

that the Chinese government couldn't control

because the satellites and the imagery they produce

was owned by US and European organizations.

But that still left us with the question

of where in that huge amount of satellite imagery to look.

And then I heard about something strange

that was happening in Baidu Total View,

which is the Chinese equivalent of Google Street View.

Photographer Jonathan Browning had discovered that buildings

and facilities like industrial estates

were being photoshopped out of ground level imagery,

often very clumsily.

Yeah, it's bizarre, right?

At the time, it wasn't clear why this was happening,

but I realized that if industrial estates in eastern China were being obscured,

then probably the same thing was happening with detention camps in Xinjiang.

And I went to look at the imagery there to see what I could find.

There were a handful of camps which had been visited by journalists.

And so I went to those locations in Baidu to see what the platform showed.

There was no street level imagery.

But as I zoomed in on the satellite images,

this weird thing happened.

A light gray square suddenly appeared above the location of the camp

and then disappeared just as quickly as I zoomed in further.

It was a bit like the map wasn't loading properly,

but then I zoomed out and in again only for the same thing to happen.

I realized it couldn't be a problem with the map loading

because the tiles would have been in the browser's cache.

And when I found the same thing happening

at the other locations we knew to be camps,

I realized that we had a technique we could use

to find the rest of the network.

It's quite rare for maps and satellite images to have these blank spots

because blank areas tend to draw attention to themselves.

But here we got lucky.

Obscuring the camps had inadvertently revealed all of their locations.

(Laughter)

(Applause)

We worked with developer Christo Buschek,

who specializes in documenting human rights issues

and building tools for open-source researchers

to map the masked-tile locations.

We had to work quickly and secretively to map the masked tiles

before anyone found out what we were doing and removed them

because our investigation relied on access to that information.

The idea was that we could go and look at the masked-tile locations

and then look at that same location

in other unaltered satellite imagery and see what was there.

And this is what we saw.

This is a former high school

that became Kashgar Vocational Skills Education and Training Center.

Zooming in on the satellite imagery,

we can see the barbed wire in the courtyards

that creates exercise pens for the detainees

adjacent to the buildings.

In other images, we can even see people,

all wearing red uniforms, lined up in the courtyard.

These features could help us decide whether a location was a camp or not.

As we investigated further,

we realized that the camp's program had evolved

away from the early days of makeshift camps

in former schools and hospitals,

and had become more permanent,

that the camps were now larger,

higher-security and purpose-built.

This is the largest camp that we know of.

It's in Dabancheng.

The complex is two miles long,

and it would cover a quarter of New York's Central Park.

In the satellite images, we can see the thick perimeter walls,

the guard towers and these blueish buildings,

which we believe to be factories.

We estimate that this complex can hold over 40,000 people without overcrowding.

We corroborated these locations using government documents,

many of which mention the camps address,

the few media reports which did exist on the camps

and our own interviews with former detainees

who had managed to leave Xinjiang

and are now living in Kazakhstan, Turkey or Europe.

In total, we found 348 locations

bearing the hallmarks of camps and prisons.

And we believe that this is close to being the full network.

We estimate that these facilities have been built to hold

more than a million people.

That's enough space to detain one in every 25 of Xinjiang's residents.

And that doesn't take into account the overcrowding

that so many former detainees have described.

So that number could be even higher.

And then one morning,

a few months after we had published our map,

I woke up to a series of messages about a YouTube video

that was doing the rounds on Chinese social media.

A Chinese vlogger, who goes by the name Guanguan,

had taken our map and traveled to Xinjiang.

In his video,

we see him driving down a main road past a compound

with barbed wire on top of the perimeter wall

and bars on the windows.

Next, he pretends to take a wrong turn down a side street

so that he can film the facility at the end.

The sign on the gate says "13th Division Detention Center."

And then he hurriedly turns his car and drives away.

Later, he hangs his camera from his backpack

as he walks past this huge prison complex in Ürümqi.

From Ürümqi he drove to the Dabancheng,

that small town with the enormous detention facility

that I showed earlier.

He turned off the main road and drove up a gravel track,

then got out of his car and climbed up on an earth berm

overlooking the new compound.

This was a recklessly brave thing to do

because, as he notes in the video, tourists don't go to that place.

He had no plausible deniability for being there.

But this is the view from the top,

and it's the first image that I'm aware of

of the new camp at Dabancheng.

This video showed us places from ground level

that previously we had only seen from above,

indicating that our interpretations were correct.

Seeing the signs at the gates of the facility,

which told us the name and the type of facility,

added further evidence that these places were camps.

This video helped us to corroborate a series of locations

where previously all we had had was satellite imagery.

In Xinjiang, open sources have allowed us to examine

and counter the Chinese government's claims

about what's happening in the region.

But this isn't the only time that open-source data

has led to a government losing control of their narrative.

At the time,

the civil war in Syria was probably the most documented conflict ever,

as people filmed bombings and their aftermath

and uploaded the videos to social media.

Researchers like Bellingcat then used that material

to investigate allegations of war crimes,

such as the use of chlorine gas against civilians.

Open-source data has allowed journalistic work

that previously would have been really difficult,

either because it happened in a place that you can’t safely go to

or because often there previously wouldn't have been

adequate evidence to examine.

Now researchers are using these same tools and techniques

to monitor the most recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

One of the first signs of the invasion came in Google Maps

with a traffic jam created by Russian artillery moving across the border

that blocked the roads for civilian traffic.

TikTok videos have given away Russian troop movements.

Researchers are investigating potential war crimes

and aiming to fact-check claims about the war in close to real time.

To do this work, satellite imagery is essential.

In Xinjiang, we were lucky enough to have satellite imagery,

high-resolution, up-to-date,

often taken every month or so and available to us for free.

This allowed us to verify potential camp locations

and to follow the progress of the camp's construction closely.

But this isn't true of everywhere

that journalists would want to investigate,

and we need affordable access to imagery of those places as well.

We also rely on access to other forms of data.

We not only need people to take photos and videos,

we need them to upload them to a platform

where researchers can access them.

And then we need that material to be preserved.

Often social media platforms have removed material showing violence,

even when it's providing key evidence of human rights violations.

Civil society actors such as the Syrian Archive

have stepped in to download and preserve that material.

With social media data and satellite imagery,

we can provide evidence of human rights abuses

in a way that wasn't possible before.

We can move beyond looking at individual instances of human rights violations

to show the scale of what's happened.

We can corroborate the testimony of eyewitnesses

and provide further proof of their stories.

We can build a more detailed picture of what's happening

to inform policymakers

or to provide evidence that can be presented in court.

With open-source data,

we can provide the evidence needed for accountability

and then, hopefully, action.

Thank you.

(Applause)