Bellingcat
@bellingcat.com
Bellingcat is an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists brought together by a passion for open source research.
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Reposted by Bellingcat
It's not often we get to report on hopeful news
Alaa Hamoudi won in the EU's top court against Frontex! This opens doors for many survivors of Frontex pushbacks.
@bdeeb.bsky.social tells how he reported on Alaa's case back in 2020 with @bellingcat.com. And how this evidence ended up in court.
Alaa Hamoudi won in the EU's top court against Frontex! This opens doors for many survivors of Frontex pushbacks.
@bdeeb.bsky.social tells how he reported on Alaa's case back in 2020 with @bellingcat.com. And how this evidence ended up in court.
February 9, 2026 at 11:12 AM
It's not often we get to report on hopeful news
Alaa Hamoudi won in the EU's top court against Frontex! This opens doors for many survivors of Frontex pushbacks.
@bdeeb.bsky.social tells how he reported on Alaa's case back in 2020 with @bellingcat.com. And how this evidence ended up in court.
Alaa Hamoudi won in the EU's top court against Frontex! This opens doors for many survivors of Frontex pushbacks.
@bdeeb.bsky.social tells how he reported on Alaa's case back in 2020 with @bellingcat.com. And how this evidence ended up in court.
Grok users prompted the AI chatbot to identify victims from redacted Epstein Files images. Of 31 requests reviewed, Grok generated images for 27, spanning 18 images and one video. X did not respond to requests for comment on Grok's behaviour by time of publication. www.youtube.com/shorts/dhD8O...
Grok Users Are Attempting To Identify Epstein Victims
YouTube video by Bellingcat
www.youtube.com
February 7, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Grok users prompted the AI chatbot to identify victims from redacted Epstein Files images. Of 31 requests reviewed, Grok generated images for 27, spanning 18 images and one video. X did not respond to requests for comment on Grok's behaviour by time of publication. www.youtube.com/shorts/dhD8O...
Bellingcat's Director of Research and Training @giancarlofiorella.bsky.social appeared on CTV yesterday to discuss the misleading AI-generated images that were used to falsely identify ICE agents and weapons at the centre of the two fatal shootings in Minneapolis youtu.be/mL7Fbp3UrSo?...
AI images spreading confusion about ICE agents in Minneapolis, expert says
YouTube video by CTV News
youtu.be
February 5, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Bellingcat's Director of Research and Training @giancarlofiorella.bsky.social appeared on CTV yesterday to discuss the misleading AI-generated images that were used to falsely identify ICE agents and weapons at the centre of the two fatal shootings in Minneapolis youtu.be/mL7Fbp3UrSo?...
Reposted by Bellingcat
My latest covering some of the strikes using US-made munitions used in Gaza.
American-made munitions have played a significant role in Israel’s operations in Gaza. Bellingcat has collated scores of incidents where the remnants of US-made munitions have been found in the aftermath of Israeli strikes. Read here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Made in the USA: How American-Built Weapons Have Wrought Destruction in Gaza - bellingcat
Bellingcat has identified scores of incidents where remnants from munitions made in the US have been found after Israeli strikes in Gaza.
www.bellingcat.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:01 PM
My latest covering some of the strikes using US-made munitions used in Gaza.
American-made munitions have played a significant role in Israel’s operations in Gaza. Bellingcat has collated scores of incidents where the remnants of US-made munitions have been found in the aftermath of Israeli strikes. Read here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Made in the USA: How American-Built Weapons Have Wrought Destruction in Gaza - bellingcat
Bellingcat has identified scores of incidents where remnants from munitions made in the US have been found after Israeli strikes in Gaza.
www.bellingcat.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:53 PM
American-made munitions have played a significant role in Israel’s operations in Gaza. Bellingcat has collated scores of incidents where the remnants of US-made munitions have been found in the aftermath of Israeli strikes. Read here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Reposted by Bellingcat
I've been thinking a lot about the role of cell phones in a time like this. So I calledup @godin.bsky.social from @bellingcat.com and @juliaangwin.com to talk about it slate.com/podcasts/wha...
Can Cell Phones Stop ICE?
In the information war, the most powerful weapon is documentation from multiple angles.
slate.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:58 PM
I've been thinking a lot about the role of cell phones in a time like this. So I calledup @godin.bsky.social from @bellingcat.com and @juliaangwin.com to talk about it slate.com/podcasts/wha...
Reposted by Bellingcat
.@eliothiggins.bsky.social, founder of @bellingcat.com, on how real-time analysis of the videos showing federal officers shooting and killing Alex Pretti were crucial to countering the Trump administration’s lies:
on-the-media.visitlink.me/krPz7l
on-the-media.visitlink.me/krPz7l
On the Media
The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.
on-the-media.visitlink.me
February 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM
.@eliothiggins.bsky.social, founder of @bellingcat.com, on how real-time analysis of the videos showing federal officers shooting and killing Alex Pretti were crucial to countering the Trump administration’s lies:
on-the-media.visitlink.me/krPz7l
on-the-media.visitlink.me/krPz7l
Want to learn more about our work monitoring online extremism? This month the Bellingcat Open Source challenge features five exercises focused on recognising symbols used by hate groups, both online and in the real world. challenge.bellingcat.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:52 AM
Want to learn more about our work monitoring online extremism? This month the Bellingcat Open Source challenge features five exercises focused on recognising symbols used by hate groups, both online and in the real world. challenge.bellingcat.com
Bellingcat founder @eliothiggins.bsky.social and Cornell University’s @cward1e.bsky.social unpack how disinformation evolved, why trust in institutions is collapsing, and what tools we all need to stay sharp in a world of misinformation. Listen back to last week's Stage Talk: rss.com/podcasts/bel...
"How We Got Here: The Rise, Backlash and Future Of Counter-Disinformation" with Eliot Higgins and Dr Claire Wardle | Podcast Episode on RSS.com
In our first Stage Talk of 2026, we were joined by Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins and Cornell University's Dr. Claire Wardle sharing their expertise on the formation of fact checking and verificatio...
rss.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Bellingcat founder @eliothiggins.bsky.social and Cornell University’s @cward1e.bsky.social unpack how disinformation evolved, why trust in institutions is collapsing, and what tools we all need to stay sharp in a world of misinformation. Listen back to last week's Stage Talk: rss.com/podcasts/bel...
Reposted by Bellingcat
For anyone interested in digging through the new Epstein Files release our Discord community are going through the files at the moment
Thread - discord.com/channels/709...
Invite link for newbies - discord.com/invite/belli...
Thread - discord.com/channels/709...
Invite link for newbies - discord.com/invite/belli...
Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games
Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.
discord.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:24 PM
For anyone interested in digging through the new Epstein Files release our Discord community are going through the files at the moment
Thread - discord.com/channels/709...
Invite link for newbies - discord.com/invite/belli...
Thread - discord.com/channels/709...
Invite link for newbies - discord.com/invite/belli...
This month on our Patreon we spoke with
@easybakeovensz.bsky.social about his work identifying less-lethal weapons used by federal agents on the streets of Minneapolis, DC, and LA. Tune in to learn how to recognise this type of arsenal and how it's regulated. www.patreon.com/posts/identi...
@easybakeovensz.bsky.social about his work identifying less-lethal weapons used by federal agents on the streets of Minneapolis, DC, and LA. Tune in to learn how to recognise this type of arsenal and how it's regulated. www.patreon.com/posts/identi...
Identifying ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used By DHS Agents in US Immigration Raids and Protests | Bellingcat
Get more from Bellingcat on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:52 PM
This month on our Patreon we spoke with
@easybakeovensz.bsky.social about his work identifying less-lethal weapons used by federal agents on the streets of Minneapolis, DC, and LA. Tune in to learn how to recognise this type of arsenal and how it's regulated. www.patreon.com/posts/identi...
@easybakeovensz.bsky.social about his work identifying less-lethal weapons used by federal agents on the streets of Minneapolis, DC, and LA. Tune in to learn how to recognise this type of arsenal and how it's regulated. www.patreon.com/posts/identi...
Our Digital Hate and Harms Team has just released a new microsite to document and share information about symbols used by hate groups from around the world. monitoring-glossary.bellingcat.com
Bellingcat Monitoring Glossary
Bellingcat Monitoring Glossary
monitoring-glossary.bellingcat.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Our Digital Hate and Harms Team has just released a new microsite to document and share information about symbols used by hate groups from around the world. monitoring-glossary.bellingcat.com
Bellingcat has further analysed videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents. The footage shows an agent wearing a black beanie step behind Pretti. His right arm then appears to recoil at the same time the first shot is heard.
January 28, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Bellingcat has further analysed videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents. The footage shows an agent wearing a black beanie step behind Pretti. His right arm then appears to recoil at the same time the first shot is heard.
This talk tomorrow on disinformation with @eliothiggins.bsky.social and @cward1e.bsky.social will take place at a slightly later time than originally advertised. Join us live at 6pm CET/12pm EST to ask your own questions. discord.gg/rDW7Z6aQ?eve...
January 28, 2026 at 1:24 PM
This talk tomorrow on disinformation with @eliothiggins.bsky.social and @cward1e.bsky.social will take place at a slightly later time than originally advertised. Join us live at 6pm CET/12pm EST to ask your own questions. discord.gg/rDW7Z6aQ?eve...
Pepperball guns, tasers and tear gas are among the weapons recently deployed against protesters in the US. In a new guide, @easybakeovensz.bsky.social details some of the “less-lethal” equipment federal agents have carried during the current immigration raids. www.bellingcat.com/resources/20...
Guide: The ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used by the DHS
Tear gas and PepperBall guns are among the weapons ICE and Border Patrol agents have been seen with at nationwide raids and protests related to immigration.
www.bellingcat.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Pepperball guns, tasers and tear gas are among the weapons recently deployed against protesters in the US. In a new guide, @easybakeovensz.bsky.social details some of the “less-lethal” equipment federal agents have carried during the current immigration raids. www.bellingcat.com/resources/20...
Reposted by Bellingcat
What happens when you identify the man behind two deepfake porn sites? Well, in Kolina Koltai's experience as an investigator, senior researcher and trainer at @bellingcat.com: they run.
Today on the podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbmU...
Today on the podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbmU...
January 26, 2026 at 5:01 PM
What happens when you identify the man behind two deepfake porn sites? Well, in Kolina Koltai's experience as an investigator, senior researcher and trainer at @bellingcat.com: they run.
Today on the podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbmU...
Today on the podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbmU...
Reposted by Bellingcat
the work @bellingcat.com is doing in Minneapolis is essential. I spoke with @eoghanmacguire.bsky.social about the site's U.S. strategy
www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/in-m...
www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/in-m...
In Minneapolis and other U.S. cities, Bellingcat supplements local news by “zooming in with a forensic lens”
Partnerships with local news outlets help "bring our stories to the audiences who need to see them most."
www.niemanlab.org
January 26, 2026 at 11:34 PM
the work @bellingcat.com is doing in Minneapolis is essential. I spoke with @eoghanmacguire.bsky.social about the site's U.S. strategy
www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/in-m...
www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/in-m...
Bellingcat has geolocated the site of a mass killing in north-east Syria. The Ayn Al Arab (Kobani) area is affected by recent fighting between Damascus-aligned forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
January 26, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Bellingcat has geolocated the site of a mass killing in north-east Syria. The Ayn Al Arab (Kobani) area is affected by recent fighting between Damascus-aligned forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, on January 24. DHS claims he died after an armed struggle, but videos of the incident appears to contradict that claim. Read our analysis here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Alex Pretti: Analysing Footage of Minneapolis CBP Shooting - bellingcat
Bellingcat has analysed video of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The footage appears to contradict statements made by the Department of Homeland Security.
www.bellingcat.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, on January 24. DHS claims he died after an armed struggle, but videos of the incident appears to contradict that claim. Read our analysis here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...
Reposted by Bellingcat
We just posted a quick analysis of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Mineapolis. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkFc...
Analysis of Alex Pretti Shooting in Minneapolis
YouTube video by Bellingcat
www.youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 11:36 PM
We just posted a quick analysis of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Mineapolis. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkFc...
Reposted by Bellingcat
A DHS statement claimed “an individual approached US Border Patrol officers” with “a handgun” in the Alex Pretti shooting incident. A Bellingcat analysis of the footage appears to show that a gun was taken away from where Pretti was situated by an agent just before the first shot was fired.
January 24, 2026 at 10:29 PM
A DHS statement claimed “an individual approached US Border Patrol officers” with “a handgun” in the Alex Pretti shooting incident. A Bellingcat analysis of the footage appears to show that a gun was taken away from where Pretti was situated by an agent just before the first shot was fired.
Reposted by Bellingcat
We’ve placed the available videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis today into the same synchronised timeline and are continuing to analyse further.
January 24, 2026 at 8:39 PM
We’ve placed the available videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis today into the same synchronised timeline and are continuing to analyse further.
Reposted by Bellingcat
I'm seeing people mistakenly claim the gun photo was posted before today, but its just how Google sometimes dates images based on the original date of the thread its posted in, not when it was posted. The photo was posted an hour ago in this 5 day old thread
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
January 24, 2026 at 6:35 PM
I'm seeing people mistakenly claim the gun photo was posted before today, but its just how Google sometimes dates images based on the original date of the thread its posted in, not when it was posted. The photo was posted an hour ago in this 5 day old thread
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
www.reddit.com/r/fivethirty...
Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 according to local police officials. DHS told Fox News that the man was “armed with a gun”. A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man before the first shot was fired. x.com/BillMelugin_...
January 24, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 according to local police officials. DHS told Fox News that the man was “armed with a gun”. A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man before the first shot was fired. x.com/BillMelugin_...
Don’t know what to trust on your feed? How did we get here? Next Thursday, @eliothiggins.bsky.social and @cward1e.bsky.social unpack the rise, backlash and future of counter-disinformation. Join us for a live Q&A on Discord. 11am EST / 5pm CET discord.gg/ApEnkSK6?eve...
January 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Don’t know what to trust on your feed? How did we get here? Next Thursday, @eliothiggins.bsky.social and @cward1e.bsky.social unpack the rise, backlash and future of counter-disinformation. Join us for a live Q&A on Discord. 11am EST / 5pm CET discord.gg/ApEnkSK6?eve...