Technology and Crowdsourcing in the Boston Bombing Investigation
This paper examines the role of technology in the investigation of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. It analyzes how closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance, digital data collection, and crowdsourcing techniques were employed by the FBI and the public to identify and apprehend suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The paper also discusses the ethical and legal implications of mass surveillance, drawing on Edward Snowden's disclosures and the broader debate between national security and individual privacy rights. Finally, it considers how the video evidence gathered contributed to the subsequent prosecution and conviction of the surviving suspect.
- Introduction: Overview of bombing, suspects, and investigative technologies
- Closed-Circuit Television Surveillance: CCTV network captured suspects in Boston
- Privacy, Civil Liberties, and the Surveillance Debate: Snowden leaks and tension between security and privacy
- Crowdsourcing in the Investigation: Public and Reddit users analyzed bombing photos and videos
- Public Coordination and the Role of Video Evidence: UCC communications and video evidence used at trial
- Conclusion: Technology's promise and surveillance privacy trade-offs
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds abstract concepts—crowdsourcing and surveillance—in a specific, well-documented real-world case, making the analysis concrete and accessible.
- Balances operational effectiveness (how technology aided apprehension) against normative concerns (privacy, civil liberties), giving the paper a genuine argumentative tension.
- Incorporates direct quotations from official reports, press conferences, and trial coverage to substantiate claims rather than relying solely on secondary commentary.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied case-study analysis: it introduces a broad technological and social phenomenon (crowdsourcing and surveillance), then tests its implications against a single high-profile event. This technique allows the writer to draw generalizable conclusions—about the utility and limits of mass surveillance and citizen-led investigation—while keeping the argument tethered to verifiable facts.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a narrative introduction to the bombing and its investigative context, then separates its two main technological themes—CCTV surveillance and crowdsourcing—into distinct sections. A dedicated section on privacy and civil liberties bridges the two themes before the paper examines public coordination and the evidentiary role of video at trial. A brief conclusion synthesizes the tension between security benefits and privacy costs. The structure is largely thematic rather than chronological, which suits the comparative argument the paper advances.
Introduction
The Boston Marathon bombing was an act of terror that took place on April 15, 2013, during the annual Boston Marathon. During the event, bombs were positioned near the race's finish line. The blasts killed three individuals and injured over two hundred fifty others who were in close proximity. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev were identified as the primary suspects by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In the days following the bombings, a massive manhunt ensued. One of the most notable aspects of the case, however, was the method by which the FBI was able to identify the suspects. An unprecedented volume of digital data was available, and the FBI along with other organizations utilized crowdsourcing techniques to help sift through it.
The advent of digital technologies, coupled with the falling costs of data storage, has created a situation in which massive amounts of digital information can be generated at any given moment. The power of crowds can be harnessed to help sort through enormous troves of data in pursuit of a common objective. Crowdsourcing has been applied across a wide array of situations to accomplish tasks that require more human resources than any one person or team could provide. For instance, a crowd can supply enough collective effort to achieve in hours what an individual could not complete in years. When enough people contribute, the total output can reach staggering proportions. This analysis considers the technologies and opportunities available to the FBI during the Boston Bombing investigation, discusses how those technologies were used to apprehend the suspects, and examines the ethical and legal implications relevant to the case.
Closed-Circuit Television Surveillance
Boston had a network of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras in place during the Boston Marathon bombing. The camera network captured images of the suspects, though these images were described as "grainy" and of low resolution. Many major U.S. cities have implemented surveillance technologies to help monitor urban areas. These cameras increase the likelihood that a suspect will be recorded; however, they simultaneously generate such massive volumes of footage that it can be difficult to make practical use of the data. New advancements in facial recognition software and related technologies are improving the ability of law enforcement to use this data more efficiently (Kelly, 2013).
References
Bio. (2014, April 3). Edward Snowden biography. Retrieved from Bio: http://www.biography.com/people/edward-snowden-21262897
Boston, C. o. (2014). After action report for the response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Boston.
Johnson, C. (2012, July 16). Scientist's game helps map the brain. Retrieved from The Boston Globe: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/07/15/mit-scientists-crowdsource-effort-map-connections-brain/v1CEwhwl90GDjKzL6oTC4L/story.html
Kelly, H. (2013, April 26). After Boston: The pros and cons of surveillance cameras. Retrieved from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/26/tech/innovation/security-cameras-boston-bombings/
O'Neill, A. (2015, April 7). Boston bombing trial: Jurors send out questions during deliberations. Retrieved from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/07/us/boston-marathon-bombing-trial/
Powers, M. (2013, April 17). On Internet, thousands sift through Marathon photos for clues. Retrieved from The Boston Globe: http://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/04/17/can-public-solve-marathon-bombings-web-users-crowdsource-offer-plenty-theories/enQ9zVkF6xwgGwLz4bj8vN/story.html
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