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.
Check out the VICE World News playlist for global reporting you won't find elsewhere: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw613M86o5o4S3BXgi3bCiIVuopQxIMgV
Watch more from this series:
Uncovering a Secret FBI Spy Plane Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgTb_mYzeOI&ab_channel=VICE
My Nyan Cat Meme Sold For £420K
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU3SO_VOG8A&ab_channel=VICE
The TikTok Murder Cleanup Team
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmoeMJDe_Es&ab_channel=VICE
Click here to subscribe to VICE: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE
About VICE:
The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE.
Connect with VICE:
Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/VICE-Videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: http://vice.com
More videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideo
Click here to get the best of VICE daily: http://bit.ly/1SquZ6v
Like VICE on Facebook: http://fb.com/vice
Follow VICE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vice
Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/vice
The VICE YouTube Network:
VICE: https://www.youtube.com/VICE
MUNCHIES: https://www.youtube.com/MUNCHIES
VICE News: https://www.youtube.com/VICENews
VICELAND: https://www.youtube.com/VICELANDTV
Broadly: https://www.youtube.com/Broadly
Noisey: https://www.youtube.com/Noisey
Motherboard: https://www.youtube.com/MotherboardTV
VICE Sports: https://www.youtube.com/NOC
i-D: http://www.youtube.com/iDmagazine
Waypoint: https://www.youtube.com/WaypointVICE
Did you miss our previous article...
https://petvideos.club/exotic-pets/feeding-all-the-exotic-animals-at-my-zoo-