Posted on 08/06/2014 7:39:33 AM PDT by mgist
A page from a GCHQ top secret document prepared by its secretive JTRIG unit
One of the many pressing stories that remains to be told from the Snowden archive is how western intelligence agencies are attempting to manipulate and control online discourse with extreme tactics of deception and reputation-destruction. It’s time to tell a chunk of that story, complete with the relevant documents.
Over the last several weeks, I worked with NBC News to publish a series of articles about “dirty trick” tactics used by GCHQ’s previously secret unit, JTRIG (Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group). These were based on four classified GCHQ documents presented to the NSA and the other three partners in the English-speaking “Five Eyes” alliance. Today, we at the Intercept are publishing another new JTRIG document, in full, entitled “The Art of Deception: Training for Online Covert Operations.”
By publishing these stories one by one, our NBC reporting highlighted some of the key, discrete revelations: the monitoring of YouTube and Blogger, the targeting of Anonymous with the very same DDoS attacks they accuse “hacktivists” of using, the use of “honey traps” (luring people into compromising situations using sex) and destructive viruses. But, here, I want to focus and elaborate on the overarching point revealed by all of these documents: namely, that these agencies are attempting to control, infiltrate, manipulate, and warp online discourse, and in doing so, are compromising the integrity of the internet itself.
Among the core self-identified purposes of JTRIG are two tactics: (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. To see how extremist these programs are, just consider the tactics they boast of using to achieve those ends: “false flag operations” (posting material to the internet and falsely attributing it to someone else), fake victim blog posts (pretending to be a victim of the individual whose reputation they want to destroy), and posting “negative information” on various forums. Here is one illustrative list of tactics from the latest GCHQ document we’re publishing today:
Other tactics aimed at individuals are listed here, under the revealing title “discredit a target”:
Then there are the tactics used to destroy companies the agency targets:
GCHQ describes the purpose of JTRIG in starkly clear terms: “using online techniques to make something happen in the real or cyber world,” including “information ops (influence or disruption).”
Critically, the “targets” for this deceit and reputation-destruction extend far beyond the customary roster of normal spycraft: hostile nations and their leaders, military agencies, and intelligence services. In fact, the discussion of many of these techniques occurs in the context of using them in lieu of “traditional law enforcement” against people suspected (but not charged or convicted) of ordinary crimes or, more broadly still, “hacktivism”, meaning those who use online protest activity for political ends.
The title page of one of these documents reflects the agency’s own awareness that it is “pushing the boundaries” by using “cyber offensive” techniques against people who have nothing to do with terrorism or national security threats, and indeed, centrally involves law enforcement agents who investigate ordinary crimes:
..........snip
People aren't happy with Obama, but they can't conceive the fact that he was bought and paid for. That despite the fact the the schreeching anti war media packed up and left town like a 3 Ring Circus, after Obama was elected. The new daily headlines, all with the exact White House talking points, of everything suddenly being hunky dory, are not somehow true, despite ALL evidence to the contrary.
These tactics is part of the deception.
Chavez had thousands of paid internet trolls pretending to be Chavistas. We have the same thing here. Obama does not have support, and nothing is what it seems. Snowden has outed these covert government tactics, and there are interesting reports all over the internet.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Internet-shill : An Internet shill is someone who promotes something or someone online for pay without divulging that they are associated with the entity they shill for.
Lol. Truth is better than fiction.
The War of ideology on Twitter
http://foolishreporter.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/a-brief-glimpse-of-twitter-information-warfare/
“An Internet shill is someone who promotes something or someone online for pay without divulging that they are associated with the entity they shill for. “
Sounds familiar.
Sounds like a summary of Obama’s origin.
Who is GCHQ? Under what guise is the regime doing this crap?
They are the Brit NSA. There is no guise and it is not under the USA regime, per se. IMO, this is all an interconnected global operation. IE: they share intel/resources and are on the same page vis-vis global government.
These tactics appear to be ubiquitous across the globe. Every government appears to be manipulating opinion, destroying ideological dissent, inculcating the populace thru education, media and peer pressure. Meanwhile, they have secret agreements with each other aimed at the survival of an elite at the expense of the citizens.
You see this on all news sites that allow comments. You even can see it on Amazon book reviews where, if there is an ideological bent to the story or if a character in a fictional piece utters anti-socialist dialogue, the book will be one-starred with the usual angry leftist cant. To be fair, some conservatives will write similar low ranked reviews if there is dialogue that is anti-conservative. When reading these reviews, it is interesting that the negatives based on leftist ideology will all be within a short time period, even if the counters to them are scattered over several months or years.
If you like your freedom of speech, you can keep it. Period.
FICITIONAL personnas on the Internet? How would have thought.
FICITIONAL personnas on the Internet? How would have thought.
Bottom line for all cyber “intelligence” manipulator-deceiver-political hacks: you’re not as intelligent as you think you are, and by means of your intellectual deficits you’re being used for something you have no idea about.
I don’t care if you’re just getting started in this, or if your name is Cass Sunstein or Valerie Jarrett.
You are being used.
This is another reason I have never participated in any social media, on the Internet or otherwise.
Some people claim FR is social media. Maybe, a little bit. But it’s nothing compared to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, et al.
I work hard to stay as invisible as I can. Any info I release, usually here on FR, is done in the most generic fashion I can.
Some Ho’s enjoy it...
The Drug Legalization Scheme is a perfect example of how these tactics are used to brainwash innocent people. They are doing the same with gun control. They did this to destroy Bush, “The war on Drugs” etc.
I think it’s also interesting that the web sites hosting this info have been asked to take information down.
The deception works, there are a lot of naive people around the world, and the gargoyles are working overtime. It isn’t too much to remind people of the truth.
The Non for profit orgs are already hard at work all over the country getting voters registered, and being taught how to educate people on who to vote for without being partisan. These are our tax dollars at work. If we don’t inform people, who will?
http://consciouslifenews.com/paid-internet-shill-shadowy-groups-manipulate-internet-opinion-debate/
Update 1/12/2013: CLN has received a takedown notice asking us to remove this article on the basis that “It is libelous and utterly false” from someone claiming to be a legal agent of Above Top Secret’s parent company. We are currently investigating and will post status updates as they become available. The original thread now appears to have vanished from Above Top Secret’s website.
Update 1/17/2013: We have requested clarification regarding the takedown request and have not received a response. We will provide updates on any new developments.
Update 4/3/2012: Above Top Secret’s legal agent never responded to our request for clarification of their takedown request. The original thread has now been moved to the “Hoax” category of the website, as ATS claims the author admitted it was a hoax in a private exchange. To the best of our knowledge, this private exchange or the details thereof have not been posted publicly to substantiate this claim. Regardless, we believe that covert operations to manipulate online opinion and debate do exist (and indeed have been publicly acknowledged in many of the supporting links below). Whether this specific case is true or not, it remains a valuable and provocative dialogue still worthy of consideration.
____________________
CLN Editor’s Note: The type of propaganda strategy described in the article below occurs across a wide range of topics and is employed by various corporate, political, and governmental groups to promote a variety of agendas. It is called astroturfing, and it is far more common than most would imagine.
~Ronald Reagan
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Same here. I even made my wife take down photos of me on her Facebook account. Yes, I know those pictures are they are still stored somewhere on Facebook, but at least they are not visible now.
Not visible, yes. But, unfortunately, the photos are subject to search using facial recognition software, which I understand Facebook uses a lot.
Glad to see your posts up on FR. I was happy to see the run down on my old employer.
Nothing much to boast of, but it was my hometown's chief employer circa 1951. At 19 years of age and out of the Royal Signals National Service, I needed a job. Pretty much routine stuff. They were observing commercial morse messages at high speed. They wanted to know who was delivering strategic materials to the Iron Curtain countries.
The biggest laugh of all was that two Brooklyn American citizens lived right up the road from me. They posed as the Krogers, New Zealand nationals. The Russians controlled them and they spied on the GCHQ. House full of wireless equipment.
Finally caught and outed as the Cohens. I always consider it cloak and dagger stuff. Spy vs Spy. (Who knows? Swapped after a few years in a British Prison. Their final punishment was really harsh. Had to spend the rest of their days in Moscow.
I have never been to Brooklyn, but I can imagine how friendly and the nice restaurants and pubs are there. Cohens must have missed their old haunts.
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