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.

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.

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.

(via Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media | Technology | The Guardian)

1. free-software-downloads reblogged this from imnothayley
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6. polyhedron reblogged this from americanwanderlust and added:

   So basically the U.S military is going to deploy a whole bunch of fucking trolls on the internetz. Great. Pissing in a...

7. americanwanderlust reblogged this from cornersoftheworld
8. xmasuchii reblogged this from cornersoftheworld
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14. atthecenteroftheworld reblogged this from chaoticcatalyst and added:

    “Influence internet conversations”…Just think for yourself… be intelligent. Jeez.

15. whathajel liked this
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17. omnompotent reblogged this from eggplantyhead and added:

    There are so many ways this could go wrong..

18. apollosglare reblogged this from endreal and added:

    ^^^ Way to set up an example for your nation. You’re so awesome, condemning people for doing exactly what you’re doing....

19. browneyednerd reblogged this from endreal
20. kiwiflavouredbubbles liked this
21. endreal reblogged this from yenreb and added:

    Sock puppets are already commonly used in a lot of circles. Normally their use is considered a sign of malicious...

22. yenreb reblogged this from freckledgnome and added:

    I heard about this back in March or April.

23. redjeep liked this
24. eggplantyhead reblogged this from cornersoftheworld
25. imnothayley reblogged this from freckledgnome and added:

    The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online...

26. alarmclockscreams reblogged this from -fuckthepeople
27. bedroomrevolution reblogged this from cornersoftheworld
28. framing-sensations reblogged this from cornersoftheworld
29. saltmarshhag reblogged this from cinnamonwheel and added:

    tumblr aces are the next victim of cointelpro

30. sunset-horizons liked this
31. lissuin reblogged this from cornersoftheworld and added:

    Why? I don’t understand, government. I don’t understand.

32. genestahh reblogged this from cornersoftheworld
33. cinnamonwheel reblogged this from saltmarshhag and added:

    So how long before the standard Tumblr dismissal tactic is no longer “everyone who disagrees with me is JUST A TROLL”...

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35. psychoactivities reblogged this from euphoria-corpses and added:

    Repeat after me: “1984 was NOT supposed to be an instruction manual”.

36. saltmarshhag reblogged this from thealphagirl and added:

    The Chinese government and US right wing groups are already doing it so I’m not surprised....

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