{"id":497242,"date":"2022-09-30T16:07:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T13:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/blockchain-could-help-anonymously-document-war-crimes\/"},"modified":"2022-09-30T16:07:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-30T13:07:00","slug":"blockchain-could-help-anonymously-document-war-crimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/blockchain-could-help-anonymously-document-war-crimes\/","title":{"rendered":"# Blockchain could help anonymously document war crimes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a22faccbf9a9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a22faccbf9a9\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/blockchain-could-help-anonymously-document-war-crimes\/#%E2%80%9D_Blockchain_could_help_anonymously_document_war_crimes_%E2%80%9C\" >&#8221; Blockchain could help anonymously document war crimes &#8220;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/blockchain-could-help-anonymously-document-war-crimes\/#A_work_in_progress\" >A work in progress<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9D_Blockchain_could_help_anonymously_document_war_crimes_%E2%80%9C\"><\/span>&#8221; Blockchain could help anonymously document war crimes &#8220;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cointelegraph.com\/images\/840_aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5jb2ludGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvbS91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjItMDkvOGE0ZjU0MDctMTJiOS00ZGYxLTljNjctMzQ0MTdhZTI0NzM2LmpwZw==.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content\" data-v-6ebd806f>Human rights investigators <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ointed by the United Nations (UN) have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2022\/09\/1127691\">confirmed<\/a> war crimes have been committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. A report developed by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine was created in March 2022 to provide a framework for UN human rights investigators to report war crimes in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Erik M\u00f8se, chair for the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, stated in the UN\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2022\/09\/1127691\">article<\/a> that \u201cinvestigators visited 27 towns and settlements and interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses.\u201d M\u00f8se also noted that \u201csites of destruction, graves, places of detention and torture, as well as remnants of weapons,\u201d were inspected. <\/p>\n<p>While the report developed by the commission has allowed UN investigators to document war crimes in Ukraine, tools and protocols are still needed to enable individuals to accurately and securely report these acts. Additionally, the need to preserve war crime evidence has become critical as the War in Ukraine enters its seventh month. <\/p>\n<p>Given these challenges, industry experts believe that blockchain <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> has the potential to solve many of the issues faced by individuals and organizations documenting war crimes. For example, Jaya Klara Brekke, chief strategy officer at Nym \u2014 a platform powered by the Cosmos blockchain that protects the privacy of various applications \u2014 told Cointelegraph that Nym is developing a tool known as AnonDrop that will allow users to securely and anonymously upload data. She said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe intention is for AnonDrop to become a tool that democratizes the gathering of evidence that can be used to pursue human rights cases. In the current climate in Ukraine, this would be particularly important for the purpose of securely documenting and sharing evidence of war crimes anonymously.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe core technology of Nym is a mixnet, which takes data from ordinary users and mixes it together using encryption to make everything look identical. It protects against people watching the network, along with metadata surveillance and IP tracing,\u201d she elaborated. While Nym provides an anonymity layer to allow users to transmit data without revealing who they are, information then gets stored on the decentralized storage network, Filecoin.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Will Scott, a software engineer at Protocol Labs \u2014 a company working with Filecoin on its decentralized storage solution \u2014 told Cointelegraph that some of humanity\u2019s most important information is stored on Filecoin to ensure that data remains publicly available. <\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Recent:\u00a0Are decentralized digital identities the future or just a niche use case?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A blockchain network combined with decentralized storage could be a critical tool for documenting war crimes since it allows individuals in regions like Ukraine to anonymously report, share and retain data. A Wall Street Journal <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/ukraine-struggles-to-preserve-evidence-of-alleged-russian-war-crimes-11653730202\">article<\/a> published in May 2022 stated that \u201cProsecutors say that, with Russian forces having occupied so much of the country, it is impossible to process all of the evidence of every potential war crime.\u201d Moreover, Ahmed Ghappour, Nym <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> counsel and associate professor of law at Boston University, told Cointelegraph that it\u2019s becoming critical for witnesses of human rights violations to come forward without fear of retaliation. He said: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIn Ukraine, where witnesses of war crimes are facing a technologically sophisticated adversary, network level anonymity is the only way to guarantee the safety and security needed to provide evidence to prosecute perpetrators.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_work_in_progress\"><\/span>A work in progress<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Although the potential behind AnonDrop is evident, Klara Brekke noted that the solution is still in its early development stages. \u201cWe took part in the Kyiv Tech Summit Hackathon this year hoping to find individuals who could help us extend AnonDrop\u2019s functionality. For instance, AnonDrop\u2019s user interface is not fully up yet and we still need to find a way to verify the authenticity of images uploaded to the network,\u201d she explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ghappour elaborated that verification is the next critical requirement for making sure evidence uploaded to the Nym network can be used in court. \u201cI think one of Russia\u2019s greatest strengths in this war is the region\u2019s ability to deny that any evidence is valid. Russia\u2019s use of deepfakes and misinformation is another strength. We need to guard against these attacks.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In order to combat this, Ghappour mentioned that image providence features must be implemented within AnonDrop to enable easy verification when documents are examined in a court of law. Even though such processes for image verification currently exist through tools like SecureDrop \u2014 a solution that allows individuals to upload photos anonymously for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> outlets to use \u2014 Ghappour believes that these are limited to siloed organizations. <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe want to take image verification a step further by democratizing the process, ensuring this feature is available to users rather than just media outlets.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Once image providence is implemented, verifying war crimes could become easier for court officials. Brittany Kaiser, a human rights legal expert, told Cointelegraph that she believes such a tool could help advance the human rights documentation space, where often individuals feel too at risk to submit findings themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough images alone, it is possible to verify typical indicators of atrocity crime, including, but not limited to, mass graves, torture marks, binding of hands, executions and other violations of international human rights law that amount to war crimes or other atrocity classifications,\u201d she remarked. <\/p>\n<p>Given the potential for this use case, it shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that AnonDrop isn\u2019t the only blockchain application focused on the preservation and verification of war crimes. Starling Labs \u2014 a Stanford-based research lab focused on data integrity using cryptography and decentralized web protocols \u2014 is also using blockchain technology to report war crimes. However, verifying the integrity of data remains the biggest challenge for both Nym and Starling Labs, even with image providence in place. <\/p>\n<p>For instance, Scott pointed out that progress must be made in order to make sure images are legitimate and that verification works well. He further remarked that access to the internet in various regions of Ukraine is censored: \u201cThere are distribution questions that are important to consider here.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Recent:\u00a0Vietnam\u2019s crypto adoption: Factors driving growth in Southeast Asia<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Challenges aside, it\u2019s notable that organizations responsible for prosecuting war crimes are considering using technology to help advance traditional processes. For example, The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icc-cpi.int\/sites\/default\/files\/iccdocs\/otp\/EN-OTP_Strategic_Plan_2016-2018.pdf\">noted<\/a> in its strategic plan for 2016 to 2018 that it could \u201csupport the identification, collection and presentation of evidence through technology.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The report further noted that the ICC is interested in developing partnerships with non-governmental organizations and academic institutions to facilitate the use of technological advancements for war crime documentation. In the meantime, Ghappour emphasized that Nym will continue to push forward with enabling AnonDrop to be used in regions like Ukraine: \u201cRussia has prolonged wars in the past, so we need to progress with this project no matter what.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><template data-name=\"subscription_form\" data-type=\"law_decoded\"><\/template><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/blockchain-could-help-anonymously-document-war-crimes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8221; Blockchain could help anonymously document war crimes &#8220; Human rights investigators appointed by the United Nations (UN) have confirmed war crimes have been committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. A report developed by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine was created in March 2022 to provide a framework for UN human rights&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":497243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.cointelegraph.com\/images\/1200_aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5jb2ludGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvbS91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjItMDkvOGE0ZjU0MDctMTJiOS00ZGYxLTljNjctMzQ0MTdhZTI0NzM2LmpwZw==.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[76943,74894,76177,74983,76176,78261,86676,74355,72366,4965,70868,70850],"class_list":["post-497242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-anonymity","tag-blockchain","tag-blockchain-storage","tag-decentralization","tag-filecoin","tag-tech-analysis","tag-verification","tag-adoption","tag-data","tag-technology","tag-ukraine","tag-united-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/497243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=497242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=497242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}