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"Data created during times of human rights violations can be used to prove command responsibility ..."
Reposted by Mike Masnick
https://bsky.app/profile/mmasnick.bsky.social
rainey reitman
@reitman.bsky.social
This. The evidence for future prosecutions is being created today.
Human Rights Data Analysis Group
@hrdag.org
· 3h
Data created during times of human rights violations can be used to prove command responsibility: that those at the very top are responsible for the actions of the agents carrying out their orders.
https://hrdag.substack.com/p/dictatorships-create-a-lot-of-data
Black text on white background: one might assume that human rights violations are well-hidden and poorly documented. But that's not true at all.
ALT
Black text on white background: when a dictator delegates the power to commit violence to police, he needs a way to make sure that his agents do the violence he wants, rather than doing violence that benefits only the agents themselves. This is called the principal-agent problem.
ALT
Black text on white background: Bureaucracies use paperwork to try to reel in the principal-agent problem. The more paperwork created, the tighter the control of the commanders further up the chain.
ALT
Black text on white background: In many cases, there are massive amount of data being created in real time that connect criminal activities to the government agents that ordered them, including those at the very top of government.
ALT
2:10 PM · Jan 10, 2026
@reitman.bsky.social
This. The evidence for future prosecutions is being created today.
Human Rights Data Analysis Group
@hrdag.org
· 3h
Data created during times of human rights violations can be used to prove command responsibility: that those at the very top are responsible for the actions of the agents carrying out their orders.
https://hrdag.substack.com/p/dictatorships-create-a-lot-of-data
Black text on white background: one might assume that human rights violations are well-hidden and poorly documented. But that's not true at all.
ALT
Black text on white background: when a dictator delegates the power to commit violence to police, he needs a way to make sure that his agents do the violence he wants, rather than doing violence that benefits only the agents themselves. This is called the principal-agent problem.
ALT
Black text on white background: Bureaucracies use paperwork to try to reel in the principal-agent problem. The more paperwork created, the tighter the control of the commanders further up the chain.
ALT
Black text on white background: In many cases, there are massive amount of data being created in real time that connect criminal activities to the government agents that ordered them, including those at the very top of government.
ALT
2:10 PM · Jan 10, 2026
This. The evidence for future prosecutions is being created today.
— rainey reitman (@reitman.bsky.social) 2026-01-10T19:10:28.450Z
Human Rights Data Analysis Group
@hrdag.org
Data created during times of human rights violations can be used to prove command responsibility: that those at the very top are responsible for the actions of the agents carrying out their orders.
https://hrdag.substack.com/p/dictatorships-create-a-lot-of-data
Black text on white background: one might assume that human rights violations are well-hidden and poorly documented. But that's not true at all.
ALT
Black text on white background: when a dictator delegates the power to commit violence to police, he needs a way to make sure that his agents do the violence he wants, rather than doing violence that benefits only the agents themselves. This is called the principal-agent problem.
ALT
Black text on white background: Bureaucracies use paperwork to try to reel in the principal-agent problem. The more paperwork created, the tighter the control of the commanders further up the chain.
ALT
Black text on white background: In many cases, there are massive amount of data being created in real time that connect criminal activities to the government agents that ordered them, including those at the very top of government.
ALT
12:19 PM · Jan 10, 2026
@hrdag.org
Data created during times of human rights violations can be used to prove command responsibility: that those at the very top are responsible for the actions of the agents carrying out their orders.
https://hrdag.substack.com/p/dictatorships-create-a-lot-of-data
Black text on white background: one might assume that human rights violations are well-hidden and poorly documented. But that's not true at all.
ALT
Black text on white background: when a dictator delegates the power to commit violence to police, he needs a way to make sure that his agents do the violence he wants, rather than doing violence that benefits only the agents themselves. This is called the principal-agent problem.
ALT
Black text on white background: Bureaucracies use paperwork to try to reel in the principal-agent problem. The more paperwork created, the tighter the control of the commanders further up the chain.
ALT
Black text on white background: In many cases, there are massive amount of data being created in real time that connect criminal activities to the government agents that ordered them, including those at the very top of government.
ALT
12:19 PM · Jan 10, 2026
Data created during times of human rights violations can be used to prove command responsibility: that those at the very top are responsible for the actions of the agents carrying out their orders.
— Human Rights Data Analysis Group (@hrdag.org) 2026-01-10T17:19:30.468Z
hrdag.substack.com/p/dictatorsh...
Human Rights Data Analysis Group
@hrdag.org
Follow
That's why we always say :
☑️ collect the data in real time
☑️ back it up (ideally in another jurisdiction)
☑️ encrypt it
Data collected today is the backbone of tomorrow's prosecutions for human rights violations.
12:20 PM · Jan 10, 2026
@hrdag.org
Follow
That's why we always say :
☑️ collect the data in real time
☑️ back it up (ideally in another jurisdiction)
☑️ encrypt it
Data collected today is the backbone of tomorrow's prosecutions for human rights violations.
12:20 PM · Jan 10, 2026
That's why we always say :
— Human Rights Data Analysis Group (@hrdag.org) 2026-01-10T17:20:04.321Z
â˜‘ï¸ collect the data in real time
â˜‘ï¸ back it up (ideally in another jurisdiction)
â˜‘ï¸ encrypt it
Data collected today is the backbone of tomorrow's prosecutions for human rights violations.
Human Rights Data Analysis Group
@hrdag.org
This isn't theoretical.
Using data and science, HRDAG statisticians have offered expert testimony and analysis in cases showing the command responsibility of former dictators and their highest ranking officers.
12:20 PM · Jan 10, 2026
@hrdag.org
This isn't theoretical.
Using data and science, HRDAG statisticians have offered expert testimony and analysis in cases showing the command responsibility of former dictators and their highest ranking officers.
12:20 PM · Jan 10, 2026
This isn't theoretical.
— Human Rights Data Analysis Group (@hrdag.org) 2026-01-10T17:20:56.365Z
Using data and science, HRDAG statisticians have offered expert testimony and analysis in cases showing the command responsibility of former dictators and their highest ranking officers.