Spycraft Democratized: OSINT’s Impact

The provided text explores how Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and commercial sensing technologies are fundamentally changing the landscape of spycraft, moving it from an exclusive state domain to a more democratized public sphere. It highlights how accessible satellite imagery, public signals intelligence (SIGINT), and ubiquitous social media empower non-state actors like Bellingcat and Human Rights Watch to conduct investigations, challenging state monopolies on information. The source also examines how state actors are adapting by integrating OSINT into their own processes while simultaneously developing sophisticated deception techniques to counter transparency. Ultimately, the text argues that the future of intelligence revolves around a battle for credibility in an increasingly transparent, yet contested, information environment.

Research done with the help of artificial intelligence, and presented by two AI-generated hosts.