http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks
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 US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop an “online persona management service” that will allow one US serviceman and woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world. 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 could operate false identities from their workstations.
3 comments:
I guess here is a case where you can see the advantage of Google+'s attempt are removing fake accounts.
Is anyone else besides me really creeped out by this?
This does seem pretty creepy, but I'm not at all suprised. I'm taking a class on the 1960's and we've talked about how the government used media as well as books, movies, advertisements, etc to spread government agendas. With how easy it is to create a false identity online it will be interesting to see down the line how this could change peoples perceptions of American actions and government agendas.
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