Tag Archive: invid video verification

TUNGSTÈNE Technology is used by Middlebury Institute of Internation Studies at Monterey

TUNGSTÈNE Technology is used by Middlebury Institute of Internation Studies at Monterey

TUNGSTENE technology, a core component of the InVID Verification Application, is used since 2016 by the Middlebury Institute of Internation Studies at Monterey (MIIS). In particular, this technology is used by scientists who aim to assess the digital photographs related to weapons of mass destructions, such as the missiles and nuclear weapons that North Korea is working on. The capabilities of TUNGSTENE technology are utilized for evaluating the authenticity of the photographs provided by North Korea and for extracting physical information from the digital images on the missiles themselves. In March 6th 2017, North Korea proceeded to a test launch of several missiles. The scientists from the MIIS analyzed the content and reached the conclusion that, very likely, the photographs were authentic and the launch was real. Further details about this investigation can be found here.

Video Verification Workflow Analysis

In the InVID project we are working hard on solutions to make verification of User Generated Video (UGV) easier and more trustworthy. Right now there are only a few tools to help journalists verify the authenticity of video materials from  Social Networks. InVID aims to fill that gap, providing the means with which verification of UGV becomes easier and therefore allows journalists to use (more) trustworthy UGV in their reporting.

Before we can start developing UGV verification tools we need requirements. Those requirements are derived from the challenges  journalists face in UGC verification today. In order to find out about the existing workflows for verification of video, the InVID project organised an observatory study in collaboration with researchers from the REVEAL project. In this study we closely monitored two Deutsche Welle journalists and one researcher in their daily UGV verification work. Here is what they had to say about video verification:

After the analysis of the verification activities performed by the three participants, Stefanie Wiegand from The IT Innovation Centre created a schematic overview of the verification activities that she identified, which you can see below. Does it also look chaotic to you? The complexity of the activities show that verification of UGC is a nonlinear process that is different from person to person.

Verification activities schema

More insights from the research will be provided in the full report on the observatory study that will be published on the REVEAL website soon, so stay tuned.

Now that we understand the workflows of video verification a bit better, the InVID consortium will be able to assess whether verification of UGV could be (partly) automated and how innovative technologies can help journalists with their tasks.

Note: if you have any questions about this research please contact Ruben Bouwmeester, innovation manager at Deutsche Welle.

TUNGSTÈNE Technology was used on MH17 crash investigation

TUNGSTÈNE Technology was used on MH17 crash investigation. The American blog www.armscontrolwonk.com published a full analysis made by a team from the Middlebury Institute’s James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). The researchers have determined that images the Russian government published as part of its investigation into the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine two years ago have been “significantly modified or altered”. Jeffrey Lewis, Melissa Hanham, Catherine Dill and Dave Schmerler of CNS analyzed the images using Tungstène, a suite of forensic software that is used in the InVID project for detecting alterations to images, that was provided by an anonymous donor (MIIS). The full review is available here. Furthermore, this published analysis was also covered by The New York Times

InVID presented at European Data Forum EDF 2016

InVID presented at European Data Forum EDF 2016

InVID presented at European Data Forum EDF 2016. The European Data Forum is the EC flagship event for Big Data and Data Science. Around 800 researchers and industry practitioners met to hear about the latest trends and innovations and exchange ideas and results. InVID was present among other EU projects and researchers in a poster space in the top ring of the architecturally interesting Evoluon centre in Eindhoven, Holland. During the two days of the event in June 2016, participants came by, saw the InVID poster and asked about the project. The verification aspect proved particularly significant, as the big data community largely focuses on how to collect, analyse and visualise data but less on how to verify whether the data is valid in the first place. Building on other projects that have begun to tackle this challenge on textual and image data (e.g. PHEME, REVEAL) the goal of InVID to verify video, the most rapidly growing media type on the Web today, attracted a great deal of interest. We look forward to following up with the EDF community in coming years with InVID demos.

Survey on copyright management of user generated video

Survey on copyright management of user generated video

Survey on copyright management of user generated video. The InVID project develops a social media video content verification platform to detect and verify newsworthy video files shared via social media. Besides verification of UGV, another issue that the news industry faces is how to ensure a correct management of copyright on such content is done, so that copyright infringement risks (claims and suits) can be minimised.

For that purpose, InVID platform includes a UGV rights management tool that aims at ensuring, as far as possible, a legal use of UGV. The process aims at collecting as much information as possible from metadata on social media content (UGV), as well as from exchanges between UGV creators and the platform, providing clear indications on re-use conditions, limits and/or risks, and allowing licences to be managed from the platform itself.

This questionnaire aims to gather feedback about how the news industry is currently facing this issue and to guide the development of the InVID platform so it can assist media companies during this part of the process. The survey is composed of 6 sections, a total of 25 questions and should take you no longer than 15 minutes. Thanks for your contribution!

Please, note that the survey will be treated anonymously and no confidential or personal information will be published without your prior consent.

For taking the survey please click here.

InVID at Global Media Forum

InVID at Global Media Forum

InVID at Global Media Forum. Mr. Jochen Spangenberg, Mr. Ruben Bouwmeester and Mr. Tim Koch from Deutsche Welle, a member of the InVID consortium, will attend the Global Media Forum that will take place in Bonn, Germany on 13-15 June 2016. On the first day of the forum (13 June 2016) Jochen will participate on a panel talking about verification of User Generated Content. The title of the discussion is “Fact and fancy – how verification can protect our news.” Further details about the session can be found at: http://www.dw.com/en/fact-and-fancy-how-verification-can-protect-our-news/a-19197673

In addition, Tim, Ruben and Jochen will take part in various hands-on verification sessions and project demos (also showing the InVID approach, its challenges and aims) to the conference audience in a dedicated area that was staffed over the entire conference duration. The overall conference attendance will be about 2,000 people, including media folks, politicians, activists and many more (for further details see also the speakers list at: http://www.dw.com/en/global-media-forum/speakers/s-101041)

InVID at Futur en Seine digital festival

InVID at Futur en Seine digital festival

InVID at Futur en Seine digital festival. Mr. Denis Teyssou from Agence France-Presse (AFP), a member of the InVID consortium, will participate in the Futur en Seine digital festival that will take place in Paris, France between the 9th and 19th of June 2016. During the first four days of the event (9 – 12 June) Mr. Teyssou will be in the AFP stand, giving oral and poster presentations about the InVID project. The festival will be attended by professionals during the first two days and general public during the week-end. The full program of the festival can be seen at: http://www.futur-en-seine.paris/programme

InVID at Workshop co-located with EU-SEA Big Data Summit

InVID at Workshop co-located with EU-SEA Big Data Summit

InVID at Workshop co-located with EU-SEA Big Data Summit. Mr. Jochen Spangenberg from Deutsche Welle, a member of the InVID consortium, took part in a verification workshop and presentation that was held in conjunction with the EU-SEA Big Data Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 4 May 2016. The workshop was hosted by the Malaysian Telecoms Corp and was attended by 180 people, many of them researchers, IT personnel and students. Mr. Spangenberg gave a presentation with interactive elements, involving the audience. He talked about user-generated content, focusing on its values and possible pitfalls, respective challenges and best-practices, stressing also what is needed for its verification. The InVID project came into the discussion as a real-life example of working on solutions to verify user-generated video.