Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media

[Tudo]

Military's 'sock puppet' software creates fake online identities to spread pro-American propaganda

Jeff Jarvis: Washington shows the morals of a clumsy spammer

General David Petraeus has said American efforts to infiltrate online discussion are aimed at 'countering extremist ideology and propaganda and ensuring credible voices are heard'. Photograph: Cliff Owen/AP Nick Fielding and Ian Cobain
Thursday 17 March 2011 09.19 EDT Last modified on Saturday 4 October 2014 10.33 EDT
The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.


A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop what is described as an "online persona management service" that will allow one US serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world.
The project has been likened by web experts to China's attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet. Critics are likely to complain that it will allow the US military to create a false consensus in online conversations, crowd out unwelcome opinions and smother commentaries or reports that do not correspond with its own objectives.

The discovery that the US military is developing false online personalities – known to users of social media as "sock puppets" – could also encourage other governments, private companies and non-government organisations to do the same.
The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations "without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries".
Centcom spokesman Commander Bill Speaks said: "The technology supports classified blogging activities on foreign-language websites to enable Centcom to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the US."
He said none of the interventions would be in English, as it would be unlawful to "address US audiences" with such technology, and any English-language use of social media by Centcom was always clearly attributed. The languages in which the interventions are conducted include Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Pashto.
Centcom said it was not targeting any US-based web sites, in English or any other language, and specifically said it was not targeting Facebook or Twitter.
Once developed, the software could allow US service personnel, working around the clock in one location, to respond to emerging online conversations with any number of co-ordinated messages, blogposts, chatroom posts and other interventions. Details of the contract suggest this location would be MacDill air force base near Tampa, Florida, home of US Special Operations Command.
Centcom's contract requires for each controller the provision of one "virtual private server" located in the United States and others appearing to be outside the US to give the impression the fake personas are real people located in different parts of the world.


It also calls for "traffic mixing", blending the persona controllers' internet usage with the usage of people outside Centcom in a manner that must offer "excellent cover and powerful deniability".
The multiple persona contract is thought to have been awarded as part of a programme called Operation Earnest Voice (OEV), which was first developed in Iraq as a psychological warfare weapon against the online presence of al-Qaida supporters and others ranged against coalition forces. Since then, OEV is reported to have expanded into a $200m programme and is thought to have been used against jihadists across Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Middle East.
OEV is seen by senior US commanders as a vital counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation programme. In evidence to the US Senate's armed services committee last year, General David Petraeus, then commander of Centcom, described the operation as an effort to "counter extremist ideology and propaganda and to ensure that credible voices in the region are heard". He said the US military's objective was to be "first with the truth".
This month Petraeus's successor, General James Mattis, told the same committee that OEV "supports all activities associated with degrading the enemy narrative, including web engagement and web-based product distribution capabilities".
Centcom confirmed that the $2.76m contract was awarded to Ntrepid, a newly formed corporation registered in Los Angeles. It would not disclose whether the multiple persona project is already in operation or discuss any related contracts.
Nobody was available for comment at Ntrepid.
In his evidence to the Senate committee, Gen Mattis said: "OEV seeks to disrupt recruitment and training of suicide bombers; deny safe havens for our adversaries; and counter extremist ideology and propaganda." He added that Centcom was working with "our coalition partners" to develop new techniques and tactics the US could use "to counter the adversary in the cyber domain".
According to a report by the inspector general of the US defence department in Iraq, OEV was managed by the multinational forces rather than Centcom.
Asked whether any UK military personnel had been involved in OEV, Britain's Ministry of Defence said it could find "no evidence". The MoD refused to say whether it had been involved in the development of persona management programmes, saying: "We don't comment on cyber capability."
OEV was discussed last year at a gathering of electronic warfare specialists in Washington DC, where a senior Centcom officer told delegates that its purpose was to "communicate critical messages and to counter the propaganda of our adversaries".
Persona management by the US military would face legal challenges if it were turned against citizens of the US, where a number of people engaged in sock puppetry have faced prosecution.
Last year a New York lawyer who impersonated a scholar was sentenced to jail after being convicted of "criminal impersonation" and identity theft.
It is unclear whether a persona management programme would contravene UK law. Legal experts say it could fall foul of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, which states that "a person is guilty of forgery if he makes a false instrument, with the intention that he or another shall use it to induce somebody to accept it as genuine, and by reason of so accepting it to do or not to do some act to his own or any other person's prejudice". However, this would apply only if a website or social network could be shown to have suffered "prejudice" as a result.
• This article was amended on 18 March 2011 to remove references to Facebook and Twitter, introduced during the editing process, and to add a comment from Centcom, received after publication, that it is not targeting those sites.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks

 

[Apache Kush]

plus the FB algorithms that bury any real news or links that would share to wake peolple up, instead it all censor and moms taking selfies and baby picture garbage, smh I stop trying a few years back

Genral1: ''You see this commendation medal (points to chest), its for posting and trolling the enemy on FB and twitter''

 

[D. B. Doober]

I think it's a great idea for catching terrorists and other criminals. Hopefully it stays a DOD thing. The only problem I could see with it is if something like and organized prostitution ring, or...an "executive branch security agency" got the idea and caused the general public psychological trauma.

 

[Apache Kush]

I think it's a great idea for catching terrorists and other criminals. Hopefully it stays a DOD thing. The only problem I could see with it is if something like and organized prostitution ring, or...an "executive branch security agency" got the idea and caused the general public psychological trauma.

true. I can't belive the let them operate on a USA company like twitter but wtf do I know, imo they let half the shit happen to pass shit like this but Im a info wars kind of guy

 

[stoned-trout]

so their gonna lie, make up phony names and spread propaganda...sounds like same old same old ..yeehaw...hey no one gets killed... I don't do social media sites much .. ic and a car site and maybe 3 other sites...

 

[Tudo]

They've got to keep the masses as stupid as possible so that other stupid people give up there seats on airplanes for all the heroes:

737 U.S. Military Bases = Global Empire
With more than 2,500,000 U.S. personnel serving across the planet and military bases spread across each continent, it's time to face up to the fact that our American democracy has spawned a global empire.
http://www.alternet.org/story/47998/737_u.s._military_bases_=_global_empire/

 

[resinryder]

This would explain the ramblings of the former member known as redberry and his other alias's over the past couple months.

 

[snake11]

This is just another reason why I stay off social media sites. It is sad our government is resorting to being deceitful.

 

[DrFever]

I think it's a great idea for catching terrorists and other criminals. Hopefully it stays a DOD thing. The only problem I could see with it is if something like and organized prostitution ring, or...an "executive branch security agency" got the idea and caused the general public psychological trauma.

Its funny you say that when you really break it down, The fact that the United States has a long and torrid history of backing terrorist groups will surprise only those who watch the news and ignore history.

During the 1970’s the CIA used the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as a barrier, both to thwart Soviet expansion and prevent the spread of Marxist ideology among the Arab masses. The United States also openly supported Sarekat Islam against Sukarno in Indonesia, and supported the Jamaat-e-Islami terror group against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in Pakistan. Last but certainly not least, there is Al Qaeda.

Lest we forget, the CIA gave birth to Osama Bin Laden and breastfed his organization during the 1980’s. Former British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, told the House of Commons that Al Qaeda was unquestionably a product of Western intelligence agencies. Mr. Cook explained that Al Qaeda, which literally means an abbreviation of “the database” in Arabic, was originally the computer database of the thousands of Islamist extremists, who were trained by the CIA and funded by the Saudis, in order to defeat the Russians in Afghanistan.

America’s relationship with Al Qaeda has always been a love-hate affair. Depending on whether a particular Al Qaeda terrorist group in a given region furthers American interests or not, the U.S. State Department either funds or aggressively targets that terrorist group. Even as American foreign policy makers claim to oppose Muslim extremism, they knowingly foment it as a weapon of foreign policy.

The Islamic State is its latest weapon that, much like Al Qaeda, is certainly backfiring. ISIS recently rose to international prominence after its thugs began beheading American journalists. Now the terrorist group controls an area the size of the United Kingdom.

In order to understand why the Islamic State has grown and flourished so quickly, one has to take a look at the organization’s American-backed roots. The 2003 American invasion and occupation of Iraq created the pre-conditions for radical Sunni groups, like ISIS, to take root. America, rather unwisely, destroyed Saddam Hussein’s secular state machinery and replaced it with a predominantly Shiite administration. The U.S. occupation caused vast unemployment in Sunni areas, by rejecting socialism and closing down factories in the naive hope that the magical hand of the free market would create jobs. Under the new U.S.-backed Shiite regime, working class Sunni’s lost hundreds of thousands of jobs. Unlike the white Afrikaners in South Africa, who were allowed to keep their wealth after regime change, upper class Sunni’s were systematically dispossessed of their assets and lost their political influence. Rather than promoting religious integration and unity, American policy in Iraq exacerbated sectarian divisions and created a fertile breading ground for Sunni discontent, from which Al Qaeda in Iraq took root.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) used to have a different name: Al Qaeda in Iraq. After 2010 the group rebranded and refocused its efforts on Syria.

There are essentially three wars being waged in Syria: one between the government and the rebels, another between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and yet another between America and Russia

 

[DrFever]

America’s Middle East policy revolves around oil and Israel. The invasion of Iraq has partially satisfied Washington’s thirst for oil, but ongoing air strikes in Syria and economic sanctions on Iran have everything to do with Israel. The goal is to deprive Israel’s neighboring enemies, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestine’s Hamas, of crucial Syrian and Iranian support.

ISIS is not merely an instrument of terror used by America to topple the Syrian government; it is also used to put pressure on Iran.

The last time Iran invaded another nation was in 1738. Since independence in 1776, the U.S. has been engaged in over 53 military invasions and expeditions. Despite what the Western media’s war cries would have you believe, Iran is clearly not the threat to regional security, So really dig deep inside your self for the truth who is the real fucking terrorist or trouble maker ??? i know USA

 

[DrFever]

How can most Americans ????? not stand up and do something rather then be sheep an herded or just let things go..
Whats the population of USA you all should be planning 100 million people and march to white house and demand all this shit to stop Abraham Lincoln probably has rolled over in his grave at all this corrupt shit going on ...
Let alone. how they are slowly taking away your rights. And you all not fighting for it
America is using ISIS in three ways: to attack its enemies in the Middle East, to serve as a pretext for U.S. military intervention abroad, and at home to foment a manufactured domestic threat, used to justify the unprecedented expansion of invasive domestic surveillance.
By rapidly increasing both government secrecy and surveillance, Mr. Obama’s government is increasing its power to watch its citizens, while diminishing its citizens’ power to watch their government. Terrorism is an excuse to justify mass surveillance, in preparation for mass revolt.

 

[resinryder]

Americans won't do a thing until the entirety of the middle class has lost everything. Then they'll be targets for the national guard. Until then they'll keep believing what the favored red or blue party and their favored news outlets , that has caused the problems, keeps telling them to believe.

 

[DrFever]

Americans won't do a thing until the entirety of the middle class has lost everything. Then they'll be targets for the national guard. Until then they'll keep believing what the favored red or blue party and their favored news outlets , that has caused the problems, keeps telling them to believe.

By that time it will be to late to do anything

 

[floralheart]

How can most Americans ????? not stand up and do something rather then be sheep an herded or just let things go..
Whats the population of USA you all should be planning 100 million people and march to white house and demand all this shit to stop Abraham Lincoln probably has rolled over in his grave at all this corrupt shit going on ...
Let alone. how they are slowly taking away your rights. And you all not fighting for it
America is using ISIS in three ways: to attack its enemies in the Middle East, to serve as a pretext for U.S. military intervention abroad, and at home to foment a manufactured domestic threat, used to justify the unprecedented expansion of invasive domestic surveillance.
By rapidly increasing both government secrecy and surveillance, Mr. Obama’s government is increasing its power to watch its citizens, while diminishing its citizens’ power to watch their government. Terrorism is an excuse to justify mass surveillance, in preparation for mass revolt.

Mindless, careless cowards, dumbed down and imprisoned by technology, media and ego; poisoned by chemicals delivered through foods, water, cleaners and drones... lost in a wasteland where life has no point or purposes other than distraction and entertainment.

 

[floralheart]

Its funny you say that when you really break it down, The fact that the United States has a long and torrid history of backing terrorist groups will surprise only those who watch the news and ignore history.

It's not really the United States. It's the Bank of London, using DC as a proxy; the bank of london itself being a proxy of Jerusalem, the bank being controlled through the Vatican, but not necessarily by Romans or Rome.

It's all in Yale's library, but nobody gives a fugg.

 

[Max Headroom]

dr.fever speaks truth.
terrorism has been used at least since after WWII to shape the world to the liking of the US/UK/israel axis. (see "operation gladio", "the strategy of tension")

nothing simpler than that:
- country A doesn't do what you want it to do
- channel funds to the most extremist groups (right OR left) so they can stir up some trouble. provide training and weapons via CIA/mossad/etc.
- watch the target drown in sea of upheavals
- use NATO/UN/IMF to invade under the pretense of 'restoring order'

rinse and repeat.
much much cheaper than a regular military intervention

 

[sprinkl]

Whoa this isn't shocking at all, I'm sure they've been doing this on a large scale for a long time already. Now they got software to help them, so it is worrying.

Facts are facts, wikileaks gets a lot of media attention but it's rarely about the facts they are uncovering, rather about the terrible crimes they are commiting by exposing the truth, and how psycho and untrustworthy those people must be because of their history/personal interests.
When learning about WW2 the term propaganda was something our teacher tried to learn us a lot about. Including checking your sources for credibility. Little did he know most of the history he was teaching us was also a load of cooked-up propaganda. The official explanation behind the cause of WW1 and WW2, I believe nothing about it. Just some very rich and influential people that wanted even more, willing to sacrifice millions for it without giving it a second thought.

We may not be blindly believing in god anymore but 95% of the people out there blindly believes what their government and media tells them.
Try having a discussion with someone who reads a newspaper everyday. They're just as bad as religious extremists. It's not because 3 different newspapers say the same thing it becomes a truth, they're all owned by the same group!

 

[waveguide]

Whoa this isn't shocking at all, I'm sure they've been doing this on a large scale for a long time already. Now they got software to help them, so it is worrying.

hey folks,

they've always had software to help them. how are they gonna get software to help them just now when software's been around since forever?


like i say, i am neck deep in this shit, and i've posted this before.

two news articles, both from c.2011, both the same story, "army hires private corp to do propaganda online with fake profiles"

however, the two articles are about *different* coprorations...

like i say, i've been in this shit, get a late pass. and if you think it stops there, you can go read dr. john hall and chat with james walbert or steven shellen on facebook and find out how managed our culture is by freemasons.

this is not a "u.s." problem - i fled to australia, and i have two cia agents greet me as soon as i walked out of sydney airport. in australia, i found out nimbin "hippy town" is masonic controlled, just like everywhere else in oz.





http://www.pcworld.com/article/220495/army_of_fake_social_media_friends_to_promote_propaganda.html



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-fake-online-profiles-spread-propaganda.html




thanks tudo, now maybe that someone people give a shit for to listen to said it, maybe people will stop feeding these fuckers, bty watching their fucking television shows and movies and reading their bullshit and listening to their bullshit. tavistock owns all that shit and your mind, and they actually do have satellite based shit to fuck your head in, i'm telling you now you can all suck it if you don't want to believe it.

 

[waveguide]

dr.fever speaks truth.
terrorism has been used at least since after WWII to shape the world

hey max, noted a few posts from you...

go on facebook and chat with james walbert. he's a real dude. stephen shellen is more talkative.

once you've done that, dig up some hilarity on the air loom gang and james tilly matthews - a case of covert masonic control from the 1800s...

history records matthews as a fucknut of no consequence, but reality records matthews as taking initiative to intercede to prevent an international war. suddenly, james be goin crazy, claiming masons are using special technology of filth and sympathetic magic to fuck his head in.

then, read about gaslighting and other ways you can injure someone with psychology, without them being aware that you are fucking them.

today, we accept psych diagnoses because they are proliferated throughout society... yet, even with historical evidence like the antimasonic party, modern man cannot seem to come to terms with the idea of collusion.

which, ought to be the most natural instinct for dealing with complex society.

we have been fucked for thousands of years bro. the vatican knew where the u.s. was, they needed critical conditions in europe to support colonisation.

 

[waveguide]

oh and btw in addition to the *volumes* of references i can present here to indicate the current state of mind control technology (let's say "psychotronics" because it will make all the conservatives laugh)

alls you really need to do is check out indigosociety forum.. where masons tell kiddies the voices they hear in their heads are angels telling them to join the freemasons. no kidding,y ou can go there and watch it happen now.

those angel voices are v2k.


and folks, i work in audio dsp. well, mroe amateur, but even i can code a voice synthesizer, i can code a syntax engine... and when you combine how easy that is to do with the fact that they already can read your minds, *and* put thoughts in your mind (army is all ready to roll with synthetic telepathy, go look it up if you need to)...

...then you'll also understand that i can easily analyse your friends and family from a few pieces of media, take their "voiceprints" and make them say whatever i want in your head, piped directly to your cortex, at low levels, and play that shit all day so it feels like your own mind.

you are already owned.