Foeke Postma, an investigative journalist at Bellingcat, used fake Instagram accounts to follow people, reverse search images, geolocate pictures, and watch videos frame by frame to identify customers and exotic animal suppliers in Dubai.
The exotic pet trade is a multi-million dollar industry, seen as a symbol of power and wealth. It’s no wonder influencers and celebrities use them as props in their own social media content.
Postma set out to identify various animals through their spots, stripes and whiskers, tracing them back to anonymous individuals who were potentially engaged in the illegal leasing of wildlife. This is how he exposed Dubai’s exotic animal trade via Instagram.
In our series Super Users, VICE World News explores the latest technology being used to fight crime, trafficking, climate change and social injustice.
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