Digital Evidence Preservation: Best Practices for Sudan Documentation
A guide for researchers and activists on preserving digital evidence from the Sudan conflict, including archiving social media, verifying authenticity, and maintaining chain of custody.
Digital Evidence Preservation: Best Practices
Preserving digital evidence from the Sudan conflict is crucial for future accountability. This guide covers essential practices for researchers and documenters.
Why Preservation Matters
Social media posts, videos, and images can be deleted at any time. Platforms may remove content, accounts may be suspended, and evidence can be lost forever. Systematic preservation ensures this evidence remains available.
Key Practices
1. Archive Immediately
When you find relevant content, archive it before anything else. Use tools like:
- Wayback Machine (web.archive.org)
- Archive.today
- Hunchly (for systematic archiving)
2. Capture Metadata
Record the URL, timestamp, username, and platform. Screenshots should include visible dates and URLs.
3. Verify Before Amplifying
Check if content has been previously posted elsewhere. Reverse image search and check posting history.
4. Secure Storage
Keep multiple copies in different locations. Use encrypted storage for sensitive content.
5. Document Chain of Custody
Record when and how you obtained evidence, and any processing you performed.
Resources
- Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations
- Witness.org Video as Evidence guide
- Amnesty International's Citizen Evidence Lab