LA Times: On social media, amateur digital sleuths try to help track violent Capitol rioters

[SheltieLover]

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-17/amateur-social-media-sleuths-track-violent-capitol-rioters

The digital sleuths take to their computers in the moments when they can peel away from their real-world responsibilities — jobs, school, families — with a singular mission: finding the rioters who brought violence to the nation’s capital last week.

Behind computer screens on the West Coast, in the Midwest, and as far away as Australia they scour the depths of the internet in search of photos and videos of the insurrection, hoping to identify the most violent protesters, amass digital dossiers on them and pass the evidence on to authorities.

In the days following the Jan. 6 riot, which left five people dead and injured dozens of police officers, some amateur detectives have joined massive crowdsourcing or “open-source intelligence” efforts on social media aimed at piecing together clues that rioters — and journalists — left via live streams, photographs and videos taken at the scene.

They are searching, they say, for justice.

More at link.

[Takket]

1. this is what patriotism looks like. People protecting their country and its citizens! :)

[SheltieLover]

5. Absolutely!

[Solly Mack]

2. I read in The Guardian where a lot of family members - a lot - are turning their relatives in to the

FBI and police.

'I had no qualms': The people turning in loved ones for the Capitol attack


I'd have done the same and still would should I see anyone I know in one of the videos.

[SheltieLover]

6. Absolutely!

I would definitely do so as well. Happy to say I don't know any such scum.

[mantis49]

10. I've been searching to see if my youngest brother was there.

If I see him, I will notify FBI. He made a production on FB about going to Parler for "freedom of speech."

He is ex-Army, MP. He has worked for Blackwater. He is working for a private contractor now, goes to Iraq. I don't know if he is stateside right now or overseas.

Needless to say, we are not in close communication.

[Solly Mack]

13. I'm sorry you're in that situation but I fully understand how you feel.

I've got extended family who could very well pop up in one of those videos.

[samnsara]

3. we can get our own DU tracking team!

[SheltieLover]

7. +1,000!

[cwydro]

4. And as it says in the link, people have no business suggesting who they "think" it might be on

social media.

These enthusiastic doxxers need to get in touch with the FBI and stop trying to be “heroes” by posting unverified crap on every website they can.

[crickets]

8. You make a good point.

To a certain degree, I applaud their efforts. Sifting through all of the videos is a huge task and they are trying to help, however, they do need to be more careful about tracking people down so publicly rather than turning in tips. Their efforts are well intended, but they wrongly accused David Quintavalle of something he didn't do. There's a balance between trying to be helpful and going overboard into vigilantism that may destroy the reputations of people who were in no way involved.

[cwydro]

9. Yes, I've seen that happen right here on more than one occasion.

It’s shameful.

[DeminPennswoods]

11. The winners in my book

are the women who used a dating site/app to find Trumper men who were at the riot, then asking them to post pictures, then turning the pics over to the FBI.

[SheltieLover]

12. Hahaha!

That's great! 1st I've heard of this!

[DeminPennswoods]

15. It was the last story

from Alicia Mendez' program on Sat.

[Hekate]

14. Kick!