The ethics of open source investigations: Navigating privacy challenges in a gray zone information landscape

Abstract

With the exploding availability of online data, digital open-source investigations (OSINV) methods have become increasingly popular in journalism. However, practitioners face novel challenges related to the tension between journalism’s transparency ideals and its duty to safeguard the privacy and security of data subjects. This article explores this tension by drawing on data from eight in-depth interviews with professional open-source investigative journalists in the Netherlands. The findings of our study reveal that OSINV investigators rely heavily on personal assessments and ongoing dialogues with colleagues to make privacy-related editorial choices, as rules and guidelines have only recently emerged. This research provides valuable insights into the intricacies of OSINV journalism, uncovering the delicate balance between journalistic transparency and privacy/security considerations.