How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations

[Constitutional Paulicy]

https://prod01-cdn03.cdn.firstlook.org/wp-uploads/2014/02/main2.png

How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations
By Glenn Greenwald 24 Feb 2014, 6:25 PM EST


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

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:

https://prod01-cdn03.cdn.firstlook.org/wp-uploads/2014/02/deception_p47.png



more here... https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/

[liberty2897]

How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations
By Glenn Greenwald24 Feb 2014, 6:25 PM EST

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/


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:

Continued with documents and diagrams at the link....

[Cap]

Thanks liberty2897, we do have more than our fair share here at RPFs.

[pcosmar]

Who will be the first to say they are not here?

[pcosmar]

From the comments,


pieceofcake 25 Feb 2014 at 6:30 am

“Public servants — those who are paid by taxpayers — have a duty to work in the best interests of their employers.”

Absolutely – we need “better” spies!


Wrong.
We need transparency and Honest Government. That would make spies irrelevant and useless.

[Cap]

Mods, please merge, duplicate thread:
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?444940-Glen-Greenwald-Covert-Agents-Infiltrate-the-Internet-to-Manipulate-and-Destroy-Reputations

[Acala]

Who will be the first to say they are not here?

I am not here. I mean they are not here. I mean this is not happening. Forget that you read this post.

[Lucille]

Who will be the first to say they are not here?

Oh you know we have them here. This is a dangerous place. What was it AF said?: This whole board is a thought crime in progress. If any forum is in need of infiltration by govt sockpuppet trolls, it's this place. (Isn't that right, ZippyJeffry?)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs0ryP48drA

Related: Science confirms: Online trolls are horrible people (also, sadists!)
http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/02/science-confirms-online-trolls-are-horrible-people-also-sadists/

[AuH20]

I think they are more prevalent on Facebook and other social media sites than here. 90% of this forum is clued in.

[asurfaholic]

"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)"

Manchurian candidate?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0PsJvLVoOq4

[HOLLYWOOD]

NDAA 2013: Congress approves domestic deceptive propaganda (http://rt.com/usa/propaganda-us-smith-amendment-903/)

First time since 1948, propaganda is now legal in the U.S. (http://www.maxkeiser.com/2013/06/first-time-since-1948-propaganda-is-now-legal-in-the-u-s/)

‘Disconcerting & Dangerous’: House Passes Amendment That Allows Gov’t-Backed Propaganda (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/05/21/disconcerting-and-dangerous-house-passes-amendment-that-allows-govt-backed-propoganda/)

US Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 aka Smith–Mundt Act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith%E2%80%93Mundt_Act)

Defense Bill Legalizes US Propaganda (http://consortiumnews.com/2012/06/11/defense-bill-legalizes-us-propaganda/)

[Lucille]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-24/conspiracy-theory-true-agents-infiltrate-websites-intending-manipulate-deceive-and-d


In the annals of internet conspiracy theories, none is more pervasive than the one speculating paid government plants infiltrate websites, social network sites, and comment sections with an intent to sow discord, troll, and generally manipulate, deceive and destroy reputations. Guess what: it was all true.
[...]
And this time we have a pretty slideshow of formerly confidential data prepared by the UK NSA equivalent, the GCHQ, to confirm it, and Edward Snowden to thank for disclosing it. The messenger in this case is Glenn Greenwald, who has released the data in an article in his new website, firstlook.org, which he summarizes as follows: "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." Call it Stasi for "Generation Internet."
[...]
Greenwald's punchline is disturbing, and is sure to make paradnoid conspiracy theorists crawl even deeper into their holes for one simple reason: all of their worst fears were true all along.


No matter your views on Anonymous, “hacktivists” or garden-variety criminals, it is not difficult to see how dangerous it is to have secret government agencies being able to target any individuals they want – who have never been charged with, let alone convicted of, any crimes – with these sorts of online, deception-based tactics of reputation destruction and disruption.

The broader point is that, far beyond hacktivists, 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. As Anonymous expert Gabriella Coleman of McGill University told me, “targeting Anonymous and hacktivists amounts to targeting citizens for expressing their political beliefs, resulting in the stifling of legitimate dissent.” Pointing to this study she published, Professor Coleman vehemently contested the assertion that “there is anything terrorist/violent in their actions.”
[...]
What is perhaps most disturbing is the level of detail these modern day Stasi agents engage in, paradoxically proposing social subversion without realizing they themselves would be susceptible to just that. And all it would take is one whistleblower with a conscience:
[...]
So the next time you run into someone in a chat room or a message board who sounds just a little too much like a paid government subversive... it may not be just the paranoia speaking.

http://www.jrdeputyaccountant.com/2011/02/why-did-us-military-buy-500-fake.html


It's happening, people, the question is whether you'll be standing there arguing with a fake sockpuppet of the establishment or shoving your foot up his or her fictitious ass when it happens to you.

[Acala]

Just remember, government agents are human beings, not robots. They can be educated and persuaded like any other human being. And since we aren't going to get rid of them, our focus should be on practicing our education and persuasion skills. After all, we are advocating for THEIR freedom too! And we just might help create another Ed Snowden.

[KingNothing]

I'm doubtful that this place has enough pull to warrant any manipulation. Besides, if it is happening, I'd venture a guess that the Truther-element are actually the spooks, and that they're trying to denigrate the entire movement with their nonsense.

[KingNothing]

Then again, I don't have the requisite delusion of grandeur to believe we're doing anything significant enough to raise eyebrows of People Who Matter and spur them into action. Those of you who do have such delusions probably disagree with me.

[AuH20]

I'm doubtful that this place has enough pull to warrant any manipulation. Besides, if it is happening, I'd venture a guess that the Truther-element are actually the spooks, and that they're trying to denigrate the entire movement with their nonsense.

There probably is manipulation but it is minimal. Most people here are well versed in the startling revelations that Frank Church brought to light in 1973, so any mole would be ultimately wasting their time. However, I do believe there is a concerted effort on more mainstream sites to suppress information and confuse those who are undecided.

[Lucille]

Then again, I don't have the requisite delusion of grandeur to believe we're doing anything significant enough to raise eyebrows of People Who Matter and spur them into action. Those of you who do have such delusions probably disagree with me.

You do recall the MIAC report (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/23/fusion-centers-expand-criteria-identify-militia-members/), right?


People who supported former third-party presidential candidates like Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin and former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr are cited in the report...

"Militia members most commonly associate with 3rd party political groups," the report reads. "It is not uncommon for militia members to display Constitutional Party, Campaign for Liberty or Libertarian material."

[KingNothing]

There probably is manipulation but it is minimal. Most people here are well versed in the startling revelations that Frank Church brought to light in 1973, so any mole would be ultimately wasting their time. However, I do believe there is a concerted effort on more mainstream sites to suppress information and confuse those who are undecided.

Thank God for Frank Church, and I agree on the more mainstream sites, and twitter, and facebook. That's where those looking to manipulate can completely cut-off the mass of people from dissenting thought.

[surf]

online bullying, reputation trashing, etc.....

I'm one of the last folks that doesn't have a facebook page and feels that facebook was created for kids that need to keep receiving positive reinforcement - so none of the above (online bullying, reputation smear) really makes sense to me.

so, help me out here: isn't this the same tactic that a pissed off girl in high school might use against a classmate?

[Occam's Banana]

FTA: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/

We submitted numerous questions to GCHQ, [...].

As usual, they ignored those questions and opted instead to send their vague and nonresponsive boilerplate: “It is a longstanding policy that we do not comment on intelligence matters. Furthermore, all of GCHQ’s work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the Secretary of State, the Interception and Intelligence Services Commissioners and the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee. All our operational processes rigorously support this position.”

Translation: "We are doing it because it's OK and it's OK because we are doing it."

[jllundqu]

Another day. Another absolute freaking BOMBSHELL revelation. ANother day the Sheeple could care less.

It's a brave new world. We are so screwed.

[CPUd]

There were some groups here during the last election cycle. I don't think they were govt workers, but they were run by PACs and religious groups. DailyPaul was a bigger target, they really did a number over there, it hasn't been the same since. I don't believe they had any idea at first that the major grassroots coordination was being initiated over here. It was pretty late in the game by the time they made it over to RPFs.

[69360]

Another day. Another absolute freaking BOMBSHELL revelation. ANother day the Sheeple could care less.

It's a brave new world. We are so screwed.

Bombshell revelation? Have you been living under a rock? This has been going on since Al Gore invented the internet.

[jonhowe]

When I used to debate people on the FoxNews forum I was called a government agent more times than I can count.

This is why it's important to not let the "drama" that naturally comes from all us varied users here get in the way of what's important (IE, Ron Paul and the liberty movement). I have no doubt they have been here in the past, if they aren't here now.

[Philhelm]

Blah, blah, blah...the use of “honey traps” (luring people into compromising situations using sex)...blah, blah, blah.

Yes, please! Where's my government issued honey trap? I want the red-headed Russian spy who proposed to Snowden to do such disgusting things to me, sexually, that even I would be put to shame.

[Occam's Banana]

Yes, please! Where's my government issued honey trap? I want the red-headed Russian spy who proposed to Snowden to do such disgusting things to me, sexually, that even I would be put to shame.

Me too! It's not fair! Some subversives have all the luck ... :(

[liberty2897]

Another day. Another absolute freaking BOMBSHELL revelation. ANother day the Sheeple could care less.

It's a brave new world. We are so screwed.

My thoughts as well. Didn't even show up in the mainstream news as far as I could tell.

[pcosmar]

There probably is manipulation but it is minimal.

I believe there has been quite a bit. Especially around the campaign times.

discouraging various activism,
sowing distention and aggravating personality clashes..

general trolling, and some targeted manipulation.

I would bet there are several government employees that work this forum.

[Spikender]

I'm doubtful that this place has enough pull to warrant any manipulation. Besides, if it is happening, I'd venture a guess that the Truther-element are actually the spooks, and that they're trying to denigrate the entire movement with their nonsense.

And that guess would be completely off the mark.

[Constitutional Paulicy]

There are so many people in denial about what is actually going on. It's not that they don't care, although there are many who don't. The reality is that those in denial are hesitant to accept these "accusations" as fact. They believe it is based on pure speculation and don't want to be labeled as a paranoid delusional conspiracy theorist. Mostly because they haven't seen the facts. Well, here they are. This is as concrete as any information we could possibly ask for. Thank you Edward Snowden!!!! It's up to us to get this information out to those who are on the fence. Posting it here at RPF is simply reinforcing what most of us already know, but the real change will come from this information reaching out to those in doubt. We need to get them on board. Please circulate this stuff in places where you think it can make a difference and persuade people to open their eyes.

[acptulsa]

I'm doubtful that this place has enough pull to warrant any manipulation. Besides, if it is happening, I'd venture a guess that the Truther-element are actually the spooks, and that they're trying to denigrate the entire movement with their nonsense.


Then again, I don't have the requisite delusion of grandeur to believe we're doing anything significant enough to raise eyebrows of People Who Matter and spur them into action. Those of you who do have such delusions probably disagree with me.

Well, while you're debating with yourself whether it's arrogant to assume we're important enough, I look to see what people are doing and how they're trying to manipulate these conversations.

We don't rate as many now as we have drawn in the past, but they have been here and are here. And yes, some are straightforward, and some take the COINTEL route and try to make us look worse than we are by pretending to be us. These are my logical conclusions.

It's a little harder to quantify these days, because all the obvious ones (anyone remember LA_Truth?) we have discredited and they have been pulled. We seem to be down to the good ones now. We should feel honored.

[Halo]

Oh look, another "conspiracy theory" proven to be true. If anyone ever encountered the debunker/troll ctcole77 on youtube, it was beyond obvious that he was on someone's payroll. Nice to have some official confirmation thanks to Snowden.

[acptulsa]

Oh look, another "conspiracy theory" proven to be true.

Given the government's track record for honesty, I'm not sure that the fact that the government has confirmed this makes us any less crazy for believing it to be true...

[Tod]

I don't know whether it is my imagination, but it seems as though the number of "time-wasting diversions" on Facebook has gone through the roof, things like a cute video of a cat playing with a dog and stuff like that. My news feed has become flooded with that stuff and fewer philosophical or political discussions seem to take place. (I'll admit, I am probably as guilty as the next person of propagating that stuff). And I wonder where it all comes from.

[Spikender]

I don't know whether it is my imagination, but it seems as though the number of "time-wasting diversions" on Facebook has gone through the roof, things like a cute video of a cat playing with a dog and stuff like that. My news feed has become flooded with that stuff and fewer philosophical or political discussions seem to take place. (I'll admit, I am probably as guilty as the next person of propagating that stuff). And I wonder where it all comes from.

You heard it through the Grapevine...

Little does everyone know, the Grapevine is being watered by the Feds, and who knows what they have in that watering can...

[Lucille]

Reddit Censors Big Story About Government Manipulation and Disruption of the Internet
http://www.theburningplatform.com/2014/02/26/reddit-censors-big-story-about-government-manipulation-and-disruption-of-the-internet/


The moderators at the giant r/news reddit (with over 2 million readers) repeatedly killed the Greenwald/Snowden story on government manipulation and disruption of the Internet … widely acknowledged to be one of the most important stories ever leaked by Snowden.

Similarly, the moderators at the even bigger r/worldnews reddit (over 5 million readers) repeatedly deleted the story, so that each new post had to start over at zero...

[AuH20]

There has to be heavily scrutinized data retrieval and monitoring going on around the clock on this forum.

[Christopher A. Brown]

It is different than you think and more prevalent than you think. It has been around longer than you think and is in more places than you think.

You can only think with the information you have. It is about controlling what you think.

People do not realize that the word "troll" was invented because it is better that a traitor be perceived as a assh*le because such enables the treason.

In terms of 9-11 it is better that traitors use the word "collapse" than "demo".

Social fears and cognitive distortions work together to foul critical thinking. Dissociation of subtle facts that belie social fears is most common, because "social" invokes instincts easily whereas only understanding of facts has that same capacity with courage.

See this link for documentation of successful exposure of cognitive infiltration.

http://patriotaction.net/m/discussion?id=2600775%3ATopic%3A6519496

Conduct a google site search to see a current coginfil operative in action.

Georgia chris brown site:patriotaction.net

On edit:OMG! The site automation put a emoticon into the google site search syntax. Use. : p. unbelievable.

Substitute my username here and this sites url to see it here. Posting on a phone now so can't find that for you

[HOLLYWOOD]

I wonder if a "Company" could file a lawsuit against the TurnKey Tyrannical operations and intentional sabotage?

Example Verified Slide

http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/2014/02/screenshot4.png

[pcosmar]

There has to be heavily scrutinized data retrieval and monitoring going on around the clock on this forum.

Which, believe it or not, is why many here are careful about what they don't say.

[Cissy]

There probably is manipulation but it is minimal. Most people here are well versed in the startling revelations that Frank Church brought to light in 1973, so any mole would be ultimately wasting their time. However, I do believe there is a concerted effort on more mainstream sites to suppress information and confuse those who are undecided.

If you're referring to this, it was in 1975.

On August 17, 1975 Senator Frank Church stated on NBC's Meet the Press without mentioning the name of the NSA about this agency:
“ In the need to develop a capacity to know what potential enemies are doing, the United States government has perfected a technological capability that enables us to monitor the messages that go through the air. Now, that is necessary and important to the United States as we look abroad at enemies or potential enemies. We must know, at the same time, that capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left such is the capability to monitor everything—telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn't matter. There would be no place to hide.

If this government ever became a tyrant, if a dictator ever took charge in this country, the technological capacity that the intelligence community has given the government could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back because the most careful effort to combine together in resistance to the government, no matter how privately it was done, is within the reach of the government to know. Such is the capability of this technology.

I don't want to see this country ever go across the bridge. I know the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.”

(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Committee )