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from the I-have-nothing-to-hide-...-right? dept.
Blackmoore writes:
Glen Greenwald at The Intercept has published another expose on how western intelligence agencies are attempting to control and manipulate online discourse.
The newest article from Greenwald is based around a document from JTRIG (Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group), a previously secret unit of Britan's GCHQ. Entitled "The Art of Deception: Training for Online Covert Operations", the document outlines tactics used to achieve JTRIG's purposes of (1) to inject all sorts of false material onto the internet in order to destroy the reputation of its targets; and (2) to use social sciences and other techniques to manipulate online discourse and activism to generate outcomes it considers desirable.
From the article: "The broader point is... these surveillance agencies have vested themselves with the power to deliberately ruin people's reputations and disrupt their online political activity even though they've been charged with no crimes, and even though their actions have no conceivable connection to terrorism or even national security threats."
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Sir Finkus on Wednesday February 26 2014, @11:52PM
We'll probably have some "reforms" at some point, but it seems like the erosion of civil liberties is a "two steps forward, ones step back" thing. I think we're past the point where the Snowden leaks are likely to have any real effect. Most people in the US simple don't seem to care that much, or even support the NSA's programs. Maybe international pressure may have an effect, but I'm not optimistic.
That all said, at least I gained a new politician bullshit detector. Whenever one of them says something like "I welcome the public debate on this issue" whatever comes out of their mouth next will be bullshit. It's a classic non-committal answer.