When an objection is filed and funded on Objection, the platform does not assign an investigator at random. Instead, it uses a multi-factor scoring system to identify the most suitable candidates.
What happens when a case is funded
Once the fee payment clears, the case is opened for investigator applications. The platform analyzes the challenged article, extracts its subject matter, assesses its political leaning, and determines the case's complexity. Investigators can then browse available cases and submit applications explaining why they are suited to investigate.
The full scoring breakdown
Expertise domain match: The platform uses AI to identify up to three subject areas the article covers (such as legal, medical, technology, finance, politics, or science).
Investigation-style alignment: Cases involving heavy documentation favor document-focused investigators. Cases involving depositions or witness interviews favor interview-based investigators. Source-focused, data-driven, and mixed-style investigators receive partial bonuses depending on the case type.
Who gets excluded
The platform filters out investigators who are ineligible:
Conflict of interest: If you are the claimed author of the article being disputed, or if you are identified as a subject in the case, you are automatically excluded. This check fails closed, meaning that if the system encounters an error while verifying your status, it treats you as conflicted rather than risking a breach of integrity.
Workload cap: Investigators with one or more active case assignments are temporarily ineligible until they complete one of their existing cases.
How selection works in practice
Investigators browse available cases on their dashboard. Cases that are an antagonistic match for their perspective are highlighted with a "Matched for You" badge. When you apply to investigate a case, you submit a proposal and a suitability pitch explaining your qualifications.
An admin then reviews all applicants using an AI-assisted recommendation panel that scores each application across all the factors described above. The admin makes the final selection, guided by the platform's scoring but with the authority to choose the candidate they believe is best suited.