This problem of certification of video evidence
Hi good people, Is there anyone here working in tech for rights? When I saw the report that a hate speech case was thrown out because the video evidence presented was not certified, I wondered if anyone has an app that certifies/time stamps pics as they are being taken. This could be among the areas where legal and tech help each other out.... I know there may still be problems with admissibility of such digital certification but is there an app in the first place? -- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu <http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu> PGP ID : 0x33A3450F
Such an App would have to be an integral part of the video/picture recorder in order to be authentic, else, doing that after means altering the video/picture, no? It would have to be a special type of camera, that is. With the 'Location' feature turned on, and data connection available/active, modern smartphone embed GPS coordinates in each photo they take[1].These phones, depending on the settings, even have a timestamp on the media created. Many modern digital cameras also do this. So you can rely on the EXIF[2] data manipulation tools to do stuff like you discuss, BUT when you say 'certification', what exactly is the legal definition of that?? Going by the case you have referred to, I can only say that it's possible to accept the video recorded at the Jamhuri Day celebrations as legit - until one goes to court and makes a claim, using it as supporting evidence, upon which the courts will be easily manipulated to dismiss its legitimacy! So, until the (Kenyan) law tells us what this 'certification' entails, we're just groping in the dark. Till then, we have to wait for the time details come out to enable us program the App.Videos (even amateur ones) have been used as evidence the world over, but Kenya is special. 1. https://www.howtogeek.com/211427/how-to-see-exactly-where-a-photo-was-taken-... 2. https://www.labnol.org/software/exif-data-editors/14210/ On 24 February 2017 at 20:26, Grace B via skunkworks < skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> wrote:
Hi good people, Is there anyone here working in tech for rights? When I saw the report that a hate speech case was thrown out because the video evidence presented was not certified, I wondered if anyone has an app that certifies/time stamps pics as they are being taken. This could be among the areas where legal and tech help each other out.... I know there may still be problems with admissibility of such digital certification but is there an app in the first place?
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu
<http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu>
PGP ID : 0x33A3450F
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-- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223 "Oh, the cruft."
Whereas digital evidence has its own intricacies for proving authenticity, broadcasted footage tends to have lower thresholds. If two or more independent stations capture the same footage, on the same day, and broadcast the same on their prime time bulletin, surely how much more evidence would a judge need? The problem is not that the footage evidence was not acceptable given that the law was changed in 2013? to accept digital evidence. The rumor out here is that some broadcast stations declined to sign /approve their own footage as being authentic. The judge could therefore not proceed. Case collapses on technicalities. Welcome to Kenya :-) walu.nb: Safcom has always been willing to sign/vouch for their digital evidence in courts and that has led to some progress in this digital-legal space. From: Odhiambo Washington via skunkworks <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> To: Skunkworks Mailing List <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> Cc: Odhiambo Washington <odhiambo@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, February 24, 2017 8:57 PM Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] This problem of certification of video evidence Such an App would have to be an integral part of the video/picture recorder in order to be authentic, else, doing that after means altering the video/picture, no?It would have to be a special type of camera, that is.With the 'Location' feature turned on, and data connection available/active, modern smartphone embed GPS coordinates in each photo they take[1].These phones, depending on the settings, even have a timestamp on the media created. Many modern digital cameras also do this. So you can rely on the EXIF[2] data manipulation tools to do stuff like you discuss, BUT when you say 'certification', what exactly is the legal definition of that?? Going by the case you have referred to, I can only say that it's possible to accept the video recorded at the Jamhuri Day celebrations as legit - until one goes to court and makes a claim, using it as supporting evidence, upon which the courts will be easily manipulated to dismiss its legitimacy! So, until the (Kenyan) law tells us what this 'certification' entails, we're just groping in the dark. Till then, we have to wait for the time details come out to enable us program the App.Videos (even amateur ones) have been used as evidence the world over, but Kenya is special. 1. https://www.howtogeek.com/211427/how-to-see-exactly-where-a-photo-was-taken-.... https://www.labnol.org/software/exif-data-editors/14210/ On 24 February 2017 at 20:26, Grace B via skunkworks <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> wrote: Hi good people, Is there anyone here working in tech for rights? When I saw the report that a hate speech case was thrown out because the video evidence presented was not certified, I wondered if anyone has an app that certifies/time stamps pics as they are being taken. This could be among the areas where legal and tech help each other out....I know there may still be problems with admissibility of such digital certification but is there an app in the first place? -- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu <http://www. diplointernetgovernance.org/ profile/GraceMutungu> PGP ID : 0x33A3450F ______________________________ _________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke ------------ List info, subscribe/unsubscribe http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/ mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/ viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co.ke -- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223 "Oh, the cruft." _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke ------------ List info, subscribe/unsubscribe http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co.ke
participants (3)
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Grace B -
Odhiambo Washington -
Walubengo J