Project on Crowdsourced Imagery Analysis

The Project on Crowdsourced Imagery Analysis operates as a nonprofit initiative dedicated to gathering and analysing satellite imagery of nuclear test sites and facilities around the world. It maintains a geospatial database that hosts images of sensitive locations, including known nuclear test bases in countries such as North Korea, Russia, Iran and Myanmar. The project relies on crowdsourced contributions to process and interpret the imagery, aiming to support nuclear non‑proliferation monitoring efforts. Its services are primarily directed toward researchers, policymakers and advocacy groups concerned with tracking nuclear activities. By providing open access to analysed imagery, the organisation seeks to increase transparency regarding nuclear developments. The initiative is headquartered in the United States of America.

A distinguishing characteristic of the organisation is its specialised focus on crowdsourced analysis of geospatial data linked to nuclear proliferation, a niche that sets it apart from broader satellite imagery platforms. The project’s competency lies in managing a large repository of satellite images and coordinating volunteer analysts to extract meaningful insights about nuclear facilities. This focus was highlighted during a distributed denial‑of‑service attack on 7 September 2016, which temporarily disabled its geospatial database and prevented satellite images from loading on its website. Officials confirmed that the disruption stemmed from an external cyberattack rather than internal technical problems, and noted that no data was lost despite the service interruption. The timing of the attack, occurring shortly before a significant nuclear test at one of the monitored sites, raised questions about possible motives. These aspects underscore the organisation’s role as a targeted watchdog in the nuclear security sector.