BASIC PRACTICES A BIT ABOUT CURATION If you come across a video online and feel it would be valuable to share the video more broadly by including it in a report, article, playlist, etc., then it’s essential to: • Verify the video’s content. Many videos are staged, edited, or shared with false descriptions so as to incite hatred or violence, or undermine credible footage. • Evaluate the security risks of sharing the video. The person who uploaded the video may or may not have assessed safety concerns or may not have intended for the video to be shared widely. If the video has the potential of putting individuals at risk, use a video editor or the YouTube face blur function to protect the anonymity of those individuals: bit.ly/ YouTubeFaceBlur. • Provide background information. Sharing a link to the original uploaded video will help investigators trust its authenticity and maintain any metadata embedded in the video. If, however, you decide to save a copy of the video and re-upload a new version online, include a link to the original in the description area. This will enable human rights researchers or investigators to contact the original uploader of the video. If you don’t include a link to the original upload, add any information you do have about the video that is safe to share, and an explanation of why you believe the video to be authentic. • Follow Basic Practices. Follow the guidance above on adding a title, For more information description and tags. • State your intentions. Provide a concise statement in the description summarizing why you believe it’s important to share the video more broadly. • Retain a copy. Online videos may be removed by their uploader or the online hosting platforms. If the video potentially contains valuable documentation, download it and retain an archived copy, plus a backup. Learn more about the verification and curation of human rights video at hrc.witness. org/resources 74 VIDEO AS EVIDENCE: BASIC PRACTICES V 1.0