Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda

[dvinman]

Does a code of ethics still exist in Intelligence firms? Does it disappear behind closed doors, dirty deeds done in the dark and used against the American people who are supposed to be free to express themselves?

It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the powers-that-be didn't like. It could then potentially have their "fake" people run smear campaigns against those "real" people. As disturbing as this is, it's not really new for U.S. intelligence or private intelligence firms to do the dirty work behind closed doors.

Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda - PCWorld

 

[JBeukema]

We have done no such thing

 

[Mad Scientist]

Re...post.

 

[georgephillip]

Does a code of ethics still exist in Intelligence firms? Does it disappear behind closed doors, dirty deeds done in the dark and used against the American people who are supposed to be free to express themselves?

It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the powers-that-be didn't like. It could then potentially have their "fake" people run smear campaigns against those "real" people. As disturbing as this is, it's not really new for U.S. intelligence or private intelligence firms to do the dirty work behind closed doors.

Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda - PCWorld

Is there any way of knowing if something like this is going on here?

"Every month more evidence piles up, suggesting that online comment threads and forums are being hijacked by people who aren’t what they seem to be. The anonymity of the web gives companies and governments golden opportunities to run astroturf operations: fake grassroots campaigns, which create the impression that large numbers of people are demanding or opposing particular policies.

"This deception is most likely to occur where the interests of companies or governments come into conflict with the interests of the public. For example, there’s a long history of tobacco companies creating astroturf groups to fight attempts to regulate them.

"After I last wrote about online astroturfing, in December, I was contacted by a whistleblower. He was part of a commercial team employed to infest internet forums and comment threads on behalf of corporate clients, promoting their causes and arguing with anyone who opposed them. Like the other members of the team, he posed as a disinterested member of the public.

"Or, to be more accurate, as a crowd of disinterested members of the public: he used 70 personas, both to avoid detection and to create the impression that there was widespread support for his pro-corporate arguments. I’ll reveal more about what he told me when I’ve finished the investigation I’m working on."

Needless to say the US military/security complex is way ahead of the curve on this one, also.

 

[JBeukema]

Gunny, Pix, and I are the only other people here aside from you. The rest are all socks we have open in other tabs and routed through various proxies.

Hell, sometimes I wake up in Pix's clothes. If we're ever online at the same time, I'll have to ask about that

 

[dilloduck]

I am real------trust me----that is all. Good bye

 

[JBeukema]

You idiots really think I'm gonna let some liberal elitist scum make a bunch of socks and spam my forums? You lefties really are stupid and paranoid. Of course, if beck had said this, you'd be up in arms calling him a crazy rightwing nazi.



Edit: Shit, wrong account >.<;