Mission & Management

Bring together the UK OSINT community by gathering experts, practitioners, and learners in an informal environment to grow their OSINT capabilities, knowledge & network.

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OSINT UK will operate as a company with a community interest following the below principles: 

1. OSINT UK will not aim to make a profit, reinvesting all funds acquired through sponsorship, donations, sale of merchandise, and other revenue streams into the operations of the community. 
   1. The company can hold cash within it for operation purposes, but this money cannot be paid as dividends. 

2. OSINT UK will operate in the interest of building and fostering local OSINT capability within the UK, promoting and fostering new entrants into the community, and educating people on responsible and legal use of OSINT.

3. OSINT UK will give decision making power to the OSINT community, with day-to-day operations initially run by the founding members, and eventually volunteers, or in the case of excessive supply an executive committee. 

Ethical Standards

Integrity

• Honesty and Respect: Commit to transparency and integrity in all interactions, ensuring contributions reflect these principles.
• Upholding Reputation: Maintain the UK OSINT community’s reputation for unbiased and competent integrity, setting a high standard for all members.

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Lawful Compliance

• Legal Awareness: Understand and adhere to all UK legal requirements and constraints, including data protection laws.
• Transparency in Limits: Clearly communicate any legal restrictions on information sharing and acquisition.
• Information sharing: Some methodologies or ops may not be suitable for sharing outside of police/government circles and will be treated as such in accordance with government legislation. 
• Professional Integrity: Refrain from actions that could damage the professional reputation of colleagues, employers, or the community.

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Community Cohesion

• Mutual Support: Foster a supportive environment where members help each other and respond to community needs.‍
• Collaborative Growth: Encourage sharing of knowledge and best practices to collectively enhance the expertise of the UK OSINT community.

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Empowerment and Innovation

• Promoting Objectives: Actively work to advance the goals and mission of the UK OSINT community.
• ‍Guarding Against Subversion: Protect the community from actions or behaviours that undermine its purpose and values.

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Respect for Privacy

• Privacy Protection: Respect the privacy of individuals and handle personal information with care and discretion.‍
• Secure Information Handling: Ensure sensitive information is securely managed and shared only with appropriate consent.
• Subject to member approval the community may vote for a highly trusted third party to audit the infrastructure and data management procedures of the company.
• For more sensitive information such as membership lists or data related to the onboarding and vetting process of members, a trusted company (such as a solicitor) will hold the data. 

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Commitment to Excellence

‍Feedback and Improvement: Encourage feedback from members and continuously improve community practices and standards.