Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda

DdC · 03-01-2011, 05:44 PM

Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda By Darlene Storm

Does a code of ethics still exist in Intelligence firms? Does it disappear behind closed doors, dirty deeds done in the dark and used against the American people who are supposed to be free to express themselves?

February 27, 2011 "Computerworld" -- It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the powers-that-be didn't like. It could then potentially have their "fake" people run smear campaigns against those "real" people. As disturbing as this is, it's not really new for U.S. intelligence or private intelligence firms to do the dirty work behind closed doors.

EFF previously warned that Big Brother wants to be your friend for social media surveillance. While the FBI Intelligence Information Report Handbook(PDF) mentioned using "covert accounts" to access protected information, other government agencies endorsed using security exploits to access protected information.

It's not a big surprise that the U.S. military also wants to use social media to its benefit. Last year, Public Intelligence published the U.S. Air Force social media guide which gave 10 tips for social media such as, "The enemy is engaged in this battlespace and you must engage there as well." Number three was "DON'T LIE. Credibility is critical, without it, no one cares what you have to say...it's also punishable by the UCMJ to give a false statement." The Air Force used the chart below to show how social media influences public opinion. continued...

Bivings Group
The Bivings Group is a PR firm whose clients include Monsanto, a company with a long history of harmful practices impacting the environment and human health. They seem to specialize in the creation of fake grassroots Astroturf supporters for their clients.

An article on the Bivings web site, titled "Viral Marketing: How to Infect the World," originally recommended covert and deceptive Internet activity, "there are some campaigns where it would be undesirable or even disastrous to let the audience know that your organisation is directly involved... it simply is not an intelligent PR move. In cases such as this, it is important to first 'listen' to what is being said online... Once you are plugged into this world, it is possible to make postings to these outlets that present your position as an uninvolved third party... Perhaps the greatest advantage of viral marketing is that your message is placed into a context where it is more likely to be considered seriously.... Sometimes, we win awards. Sometimes only the client knows the precise role we played." After this message was criticized publicly, Bivings removed the offending passages, placing a note at the bottom of the article that states, "Recently edited for clarification." continued...

Conservatives without conscience by John W. Dean

Big Lies by Joe Conason
The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth
Publisher Comments:
In Big Lies, Joe Conason rips through the ten most damaging lies perpetrated by the right wing propaganda machine. This scathing, fact-filled analysis debunks it all:

joeconason.com

Perfectly legal by David Cay Johnston
The covert campaign to rig our tax system
to benefit the super rich-- and cheat everybody else.

The Wrecking Crew, on How Conservatives Rule
“Fantastic misgovernment of the kind we have seen is not an accident, nor is it the work of a few bad individuals. It is the consequence of triumph by a particular philosophy of government, by a movement that understands the liberal state as a perversion and considers the market the ideal nexus of human society. This movement is friendly to industry not just by force of campaign contributions but by conviction.”

Authoritarians
"A tiny portion of the population controls the lion's share of the wealth and most of the command positions of state, manufacturing, banking, investment, publishing, higher education, philanthropy, and media... these individuals exercise a preponderant influence over what is passed off as public information and democratic discourse.

The ruling class is the politically active component of the owning class, the top captains of finance and policy who set the standards for investment and concentration of capital at home and abroad...

Their overall economic domination and their campaign contributions, media monopoly, high-paid lobbyists, and public relations experts regularly predetermine who will be treated as major political candidates and which policy parameters will prevail... Though relatively few in number they get the most of what there is to get. Their wealth serves their power, and their power serves their wealth."
~ Michael Parenti

Bushit Rumcheney Cocktail:Fascist Nationalism and MKULTRA

The Drug Czar is Required by Law to Lie
Most people know that the “drug czar” — the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) — is an advocate for the government position regarding the drug war. But not everyone knows that he and his office are mandated to tell lies as part of their Congressional authorization.

Follow our live reporting on the growing protests in Wisconsin against efforts to claim budget "repair" requires stripping Americans of their right to organize to negotiate for fair working conditions. Visit our special coverage here.

Roach · 03-01-2011, 05:51 PM

Just saw an article saying Palin is one of the 5 most powerful women.

Who the fuck writes this total bullshit, and how much did the mob pay for them to do so.

Is it American politicians that are so out of touch with reality , or perhaps the dumbed down society ?

edit....and yes, it was on MSNBC

zerodown · 03-03-2011, 06:48 AM

Look up "china's 50 cent army"

The same thing, but its not a software, thousands of chinese citizens are paid .50 cents per posting to sway public opinion.

03-01-2011, 05:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
DdC Decade Yahookan Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Santa Cruz,CA,USA Posts: 2,118 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 51 Thanked 607 Times in 399 Posts	Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda By Darlene Storm Does a code of ethics still exist in Intelligence firms? Does it disappear behind closed doors, dirty deeds done in the dark and used against the American people who are supposed to be free to express themselves? February 27, 2011 "Computerworld" -- It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the powers-that-be didn't like. It could then potentially have their "fake" people run smear campaigns against those "real" people. As disturbing as this is, it's not really new for U.S. intelligence or private intelligence firms to do the dirty work behind closed doors. EFF previously warned that Big Brother wants to be your friend for social media surveillance. While the FBI Intelligence Information Report Handbook(PDF) mentioned using "covert accounts" to access protected information, other government agencies endorsed using security exploits to access protected information. It's not a big surprise that the U.S. military also wants to use social media to its benefit. Last year, Public Intelligence published the U.S. Air Force social media guide which gave 10 tips for social media such as, "The enemy is engaged in this battlespace and you must engage there as well." Number three was "DON'T LIE. Credibility is critical, without it, no one cares what you have to say...it's also punishable by the UCMJ to give a false statement." The Air Force used the chart below to show how social media influences public opinion. continued... Bivings Group The Bivings Group is a PR firm whose clients include Monsanto, a company with a long history of harmful practices impacting the environment and human health. They seem to specialize in the creation of fake grassroots Astroturf supporters for their clients. An article on the Bivings web site, titled "Viral Marketing: How to Infect the World," originally recommended covert and deceptive Internet activity, "there are some campaigns where it would be undesirable or even disastrous to let the audience know that your organisation is directly involved... it simply is not an intelligent PR move. In cases such as this, it is important to first 'listen' to what is being said online... Once you are plugged into this world, it is possible to make postings to these outlets that present your position as an uninvolved third party... Perhaps the greatest advantage of viral marketing is that your message is placed into a context where it is more likely to be considered seriously.... Sometimes, we win awards. Sometimes only the client knows the precise role we played." After this message was criticized publicly, Bivings removed the offending passages, placing a note at the bottom of the article that states, "Recently edited for clarification." continued... Conservatives without conscience by John W. Dean Big Lies by Joe Conason The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth Publisher Comments: In Big Lies, Joe Conason rips through the ten most damaging lies perpetrated by the right wing propaganda machine. This scathing, fact-filled analysis debunks it all: joeconason.com Perfectly legal by David Cay Johnston The covert campaign to rig our tax system to benefit the super rich-- and cheat everybody else. The Wrecking Crew, on How Conservatives Rule “Fantastic misgovernment of the kind we have seen is not an accident, nor is it the work of a few bad individuals. It is the consequence of triumph by a particular philosophy of government, by a movement that understands the liberal state as a perversion and considers the market the ideal nexus of human society. This movement is friendly to industry not just by force of campaign contributions but by conviction.” Authoritarians "A tiny portion of the population controls the lion's share of the wealth and most of the command positions of state, manufacturing, banking, investment, publishing, higher education, philanthropy, and media... these individuals exercise a preponderant influence over what is passed off as public information and democratic discourse. The ruling class is the politically active component of the owning class, the top captains of finance and policy who set the standards for investment and concentration of capital at home and abroad... Their overall economic domination and their campaign contributions, media monopoly, high-paid lobbyists, and public relations experts regularly predetermine who will be treated as major political candidates and which policy parameters will prevail... Though relatively few in number they get the most of what there is to get. Their wealth serves their power, and their power serves their wealth." ~ Michael Parenti Bushit Rumcheney Cocktail:Fascist Nationalism and MKULTRA The Drug Czar is Required by Law to Lie Most people know that the “drug czar” — the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) — is an advocate for the government position regarding the drug war. But not everyone knows that he and his office are mandated to tell lies as part of their Congressional authorization. Follow our live reporting on the growing protests in Wisconsin against efforts to claim budget "repair" requires stripping Americans of their right to organize to negotiate for fair working conditions. Visit our special coverage here.

03-01-2011, 05:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Roach Victoria Aut Mors Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7,184 Thanks: 2,372 Thanked 1,987 Times in 1,509 Posts	Just saw an article saying Palin is one of the 5 most powerful women. Who the fuck writes this total bullshit, and how much did the mob pay for them to do so. Is it American politicians that are so out of touch with reality , or perhaps the dumbed down society ? edit....and yes, it was on MSNBC __________________ לזיין את הקופים

03-03-2011, 06:48 AM	#3 (permalink)
zerodown Mafutero Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: PR Posts: 782 Thanks: 41 Thanked 169 Times in 131 Posts	Look up "china's 50 cent army" The same thing, but its not a software, thousands of chinese citizens are paid .50 cents per posting to sway public opinion. __________________ "I've seen people so poor all they got is money." We have to learn to unlearn Its not contradiction, its amendment Not everything we see is reality Not everything we hear is the truth Not everything we're taught helps us grow ~Cultura Profetica "La locura se lleva en la cabeza y las drogas en los bolsillos" ~Roberto Iniesta

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