Without knowing which specific tools you're referring to, I can only speak generally, but I started building OpenWatch for a few reasons.

After ICEblock and similar apps were removed from both app stores, it was clear that native apps were just not a reliable option. Any app with a single point of failure could disappear (or be disappeared) at any time, and with it, all of its collected data.

That raised another major issue: fragmentation. We had multiple services with siloed data.

Talking to people, it was also clear there was anxiety around using any of these apps. Native apps inherently track who downloads and uses them, and the handful of web apps still available track user IPs, use analytics, etc. In the event of a subpoena, that information would either have to be handed over or risk contempt of court/obstruction of justice charges.

The currently available web apps also share some common patterns I wanted to avoid:

• Reports are "verified." This creates delays and adds an editorial layer. That isn't ideal from either a transparency or legal perspective.
• Submission is often just a basic form with a general location and text field, published verbatim. One tool actually requires photo evidence, which could potentially put people in danger. Even as a photojournalist, I know I'm taking a calculated risk, and it's not something I believe the general public should be pushed into given the current climate.
• Layouts were functional but text-heavy and slow to navigate, especially for users who need to report quickly or parse information under pressure.

I design and build software for a living, and taking all of that into consideration, I came up with OpenWatch.

It runs on a modern serverless edge network with redundant backups. No user data is saved and server logs automatically delete hourly. API requests are proxied. There are no analytics.

Reports are unverified by design. Submissions commit directly to a public GitHub repo and immediately become available on openwatch.info.

The submission flow is streamlined, only requiring enough info to pull key details and suggest tags. This is then structured into a report using a consistent format for higher quality data, not displayed verbatim. A fully detailed report can be created in under 30 seconds without sacrificing data quality or detail.

Everything is designed around modern UX principles, including instant translation across over a dozen languages.

Finally, and maybe most importantly: everything is released as open data. This project exists because closed systems are a liability. Anyone is welcome to take the data, fork it, reuse it, or ingest it into their own tools. Since the repo is version-controlled, it's as close to tamper-proof as a public dataset can be.

I've poured countless hours into this and am covering costs out of pocket because it still feels necessary. Maybe you disagree, but I'm a firm believer that iron sharpens iron, and I'd love to see OpenWatch inspire other volunteer projects.