"Project 4β" Partners with Bellingcat to Elevate Open Source Investigations

Gabija Birgile

Last updated on

2024-03-05

2 min read

AI Summary:

Oxylabs' "Project 4β" provides Bellingcat with web data-collection tools, including a large proxy network and the Web Unblocker. This technical support enables Bellingcat to access public online information on a large scale, strengthening their open-source investigations.

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Bellingcat, a nonprofit, independent investigative collective of researchers and citizen journalists brought together by a passion for open source research. This collaboration is part of Oxylabs' pro bono initiative, "Project 4β," which aims to support organizations working towards the greater good.

We are delighted to partner with such a distinguished organization as Bellingcat and contribute to the organization's critical and noble mission with our public web data collection solutions. This significant collaboration once again proves the potential of web data acquisition to be harnessed for social good, in this case – uncovering truth and promoting transparency.

Julius Černiauskas, CEO of Oxylabs

About Bellingcat

Bellingcat is renowned for its groundbreaking investigations, utilizing open-source intelligence to shed light on complex issues. Founded in 2014, the organization has pioneered the use of open source research methods to investigate a variety of subjects of public interest.

These range from the poisoning of Alexey Navalny to revealing the shooting down of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, uncovering war crimes in Syria, and the involvement of Russian GRU officers in covert activities across Europe. Bellingcat’s research is regularly referenced by international media and has been cited by several courts and investigative missions.

With over 30 staff and contributors in more than 20 countries, Bellingcat operates in a unique field where advanced technology, forensic research, journalism, transparency and accountability come together.

Web intelligence for open source investigations

The partnership grants Bellingcat free access to Oxylabs' expertise, the world's largest ethically procured proxy network, and one of the most advanced solutions for web intelligence collection – Web Unblocker. Bellingcat will be able to harness a vast amount of publicly available online information, enabling them to conduct thorough and accurate investigations.

Big Tech and social media have grown more and more hostile to open source research in recent years, from cutting off developer’s API access to banning academic researchers. Oxylabs’ products will help us navigate these challenges, namely in archiving user-generated content that is vital for investigations, accountability efforts, and the safety of online researchers.

Giancarlo Fiorella, the Director for Research and Training at Bellingcat

Invitation to join 4beta

Through "Project 4β," Oxylabs has already forged partnerships with a number of organizations, including Debunk.org, an organization dedicated to countering online disinformation and state-sponsored internet propaganda, Forbes, Confirmado, the Environmental Protection Department of Lithuania, Communications Regulatory Authority of Lithuania, members from academic institutions, such as the University of Edinburgh, the University of Washington, the University of Pennsylvania, to name a few.

Investigative journalists, academic institutions, researchers, NGOs, non-profits, and other organizations dedicated to tackling the most complex societal challenges are invited to join "Project 4β" by filling a form or via 4beta@oxylabs.io. By leveraging Oxylabs' expertise and robust web intelligence collection solutions, partners can maximize their research impact and deepen their understanding of the possibilities that public web data unlocks.

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About the author

Gabija Birgile

Senior PR Manager

Gabija Birgile is a Senior PR Manager at Oxylabs. After working in a PR agency and juggling various projects for quite some time, she wanted to try a role in the tech industry. Making a positive impact with her work was always on top of her mind, so managing "Project 4β" pro bono partnerships now definitely does the job. If you have a project in mind, drop her a message at 4beta@oxylabs.io.

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