Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

Dev.SN ♥ developers

How GCHQ Manipulates Online Opinion

posted by Dopefish on Tuesday February 25 2014, @04:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the true-journalism-at-stake dept.

nobbis writes "In an article entitled 'How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations' Glenn Greenwald publishes training material from the Snowden archive that illustrates how GCHQ uses "cyber-offensive techniques against people who have nothing to do with terrorism or national security threats", for example against "Hacktivism".

These techniques include disseminating deception on-line and harming the reputations of their targets with a honey trap , a blog from a purported victim of the target, or 'changing their photos on social media sites'. Similarly companies are discredited by leaking of confidential information, or posting negative information on appropriate forums. The covert agents' play book includes infiltration, false flag, disruption and sting operations.

When questioned GCHQ replied "It is a longstanding policy that we do not comment on intelligence matters""

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
How GCHQ Manipulates Online Opinion | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 1000 moderator points   | 60 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 5, Informative) by keplr on Tuesday February 25 2014, @06:09PM

    by keplr (2104) on Tuesday February 25 2014, @06:09PM (#6970)

    The government wouldn't use the same account all the time. They want to build a false consensus around their preferred interpretation of some issue. You need lots of legitimate looking accounts to do that. He was just your typical Neocon useful idiot.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +4  
       Interesting=1, Informative=3, Total=4
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   5  

  • (Score: 1) by Geotti on Wednesday February 26 2014, @01:33AM

    by Geotti (1146) on Wednesday February 26 2014, @01:33AM (#7130)

    The government wouldn't use the same account all the time.

    Oh, thank the universe! And there I was thinking this AC-guy I see around these parts could be a shill...

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 26 2014, @01:36AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 26 2014, @01:36AM (#7131)

      He sure posts a lot.

      Wait...