Abstract
This article considers the unique forms of digital labor that emerged in the wake of the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Donetsk, Ukraine in July of 2014. Whereas such investigations traditionally rely on expert analysis and strict information control, the Ukrainians took an unconventional, open-source approach to the case. By releasing key pieces of video evidence on social media, the Ukrainian government recruited a vast roster of skilled online analysts to work on its behalf without expending any financial resources. Placing this user activity in the context of scholarly studies of both fan labor and citizen surveillance, the paper argues that social and economic aspects of online culture enabled Ukraine to benefit significantly from the discourse produced by unpaid workers. Ultimately, the output of these laborers played a key role in counteracting Russia's use of global broadcasting and expensive online propaganda to dominate international debate surrounding MH17.
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