Yank Propaganda!

RichieC

There's already enough drones on the internet spreading the sh*te, we're going to be inundated by bots here telling us how lucky countries like Iraq are for being freedumed :pac:

Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media

The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media using fake online personas designed to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.

A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with the US Central Command (Centcom) to develop what is described as an "online persona management service" that will allow one serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities at once.

The contract stipulates each persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 controllers must be able to operate false identities from their workstations "without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries".

The project has been likened by web experts to China's attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet.

Centcom's contract requires the provision of one "virtual private server" in the United States and eight appearing to be outside the US to give the impression the fake personas are real people located in different parts of the world. It 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".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks

They're much closer to East Germany and Soviet Russia than they'll ever admit.

Overheal

RichieC wrote: »

There's already enough drones on the internet spreading the sh*te, we're going to be inundated by bots here telling us how lucky countries like Iraq are for being freedumed :pac:

In that case why would you go ahead and do their work for them?

hey wait this isnt propaganda@!

Overheal

He said none of the interventions was 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.

Suuure.

I can see this though. Did you notice The Israeli with his pro-israel thread? I don't agree with it and think its rather sad but other governments appear to already have their own operations in place. Israel in particular. But since theyre buddies I wonder if Israeli trolls will be getting an upgrade..

Morgan Freeman

I had a feeling one day in my life that things would come to this. My father always said so, as he bundled the hay in the field.

The corn was ripe in the field that summer, back in the days when a man could make an honest living.

What I'd give to be back on the prairie.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Think this already happens about here, to be honest.

policarp

What's new about the yanks poking their noses in other peoples business?

Metallitroll

overheal your name is ironic because i see americans as wanton overhaulers of the world, as opposed to the overheal which they insist on :pac: .. and god made the world in americas image.

Sonics2k

So now they have a slightly newer method of producing propaganda.

Dozens of countries do it all the time, it's not a big deal really. The U.S. just happens to be quite good at it.

Oranage2

I can see where you guys are coming from but no way the greatest country in the world would do this - For gods sake it isnt North Korea after all. We have obama and he's irish, we've freed countries like Iraq and Afganistan. And we won the war - Which one you say? all them!!! So dont listen to this commy bull - USA is your friend - Join the navy and


USA USA USA

Feeona

Morgan Freeman wrote: »

What I'd give to be back on the prairie.

Whatever it is, I'll match it if you do go back on the prairie

William Powell

And they need this software because one yank can't manage to think up and use 10 internet identities without being found out :rolleyes:

Fight_Night

People who call them 'yanks' sound British.

smk89

It'll take a few more than a few fake internet people to convince me America isn't the next fascist state

William Powell

Fight_Night wrote: »

People who call them 'yanks' sound British.

Thats just the software talking.

Amhran Nua

William Powell wrote: »

And they need this software because one yank can't manage to think up and use 10 internet identities without being found out :rolleyes:

And in other news, the US military discovers proxies...

Metallitroll

because i saw it on tv, easily impressionable thats what i wanna be, stormin usa, top gun leisuresuit larry hagman, usa, grab me by the gonads from an early age, saturate my face with another disgrace, plunder yet another UK show and remake in us english so as they can relate understand, then broadcast it to the world, accept! accept!

Manic Moran

Seriously, the Guardian is way behind the times. US Government agencies have been posting on various fora for years. Sometimes openly, sometimes not. It's public knowledge that it's done, and shouldn't be surprising.

NTM

Overheal

Manic Moran wrote: »

Seriously, the Guardian is way behind the times. US Government agencies have been posting on various fora for years. Sometimes openly, sometimes not. It's public knowledge that it's done, and shouldn't be surprising.

NTM

Did you get paid to write that?

/:|