To raise awareness for oppressive regimes around the world, Amnesty International commissioned the ‘Trial by Timeline’ Campaign. Trial by Timeline is an online app that analyzes your Facebook profile in order to find evidence that would incriminate you in more restrictive parts of the world.
After sifting through your social media data, the website shows you what crimes you would be incriminated for. It then shows how many times you would be beaten, tortured, imprisoned and executed worldwide. In addition, a map displays what kinds of crimes you would be prosecuted for in each country.
The campaign was developed by New Zealand ad agency BBDO. Since New Zealand was recently named one of the freest countries on Earth, the agency wanted to show citizens what it’s like for people in less fortunate parts of the world.
Social Media Prosecution Campaigns
The Trial by Timeline Analyzes Facebook to Reveal Your Crimes
Trend Themes
1. Privacy Monitoring - Using social media data analysis to reveal potential incriminating evidence highlights the need for privacy monitoring solutions.
2. Digital Activism - The Trial by Timeline campaign demonstrates the power of digital platforms in raising awareness and advocating for social justice causes.
3. Cross-cultural Empathy - By simulating the experiences of individuals in restrictive countries, Trial by Timeline fosters a greater sense of cross-cultural empathy and understanding.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media Monitoring - The Trial by Timeline campaign creates opportunities for social media monitoring companies to provide tools for analyzing online activities and identifying potential legal risks.
2. Advertising and Marketing - The success of Trial by Timeline as an awareness-raising campaign presents opportunities for agencies to create impactful social justice campaigns for clients.
3. Technology and Human Rights - The use of technology in exposing human rights violations through Trial by Timeline opens up possibilities for collaboration between technology companies and human rights organizations.