US Military Commisions Software For Manipulating Social Media

[Guest Wall Bird]

Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media

 

The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.

 

A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop what is described as an "online persona management service" that will allow one US serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world.

 

The project has been likened by web experts to China's attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet. Critics are likely to complain that it will allow the US military to create a false consensus in online conversations, crowd out unwelcome opinions and smother commentaries or reports that do not correspond with its own objectives.

 

The discovery that the US military is developing false online personalities – known to users of social media as "sock puppets" – could also encourage other governments, private companies and non-government organisations to do the same.

[Guest ezkerraldean]

this may explain the behaviour of some wattum members lol

[sup]

how can the govnerment make dupes since its banned to make dupes? there breaking there own laws!!!

[SR4]

this could be a good thing. we need to be broken in.

[Guest inteeliguntdesign]

Online communities have been dealing with this kind of thing for ages, with Wikipedia being just one example. I guess the worry is the government will start doing it a lot more efficiently. I'm not really that sure what their technical definition is. But it must be perverting the actions of online groups for their own ends, if you're looking at it from a government's perspective. Preventing dissidence and providing support for various policies. Like MI5 were trying to gain public support for the two invasions years ago. It would be used for similar ends, I guess. Seems like we need better systems that wikipedia and reddit--they're fairly easy to manipulate at the moment. Just get loads of people to start upvoting/downvoting stuff, and get people into various trusted editorial roles.

[delet...]

this could be a good thing. we need to be broken in.

 

we'd make their dupe bots cry all the way home to the mommy server.

 

---

 

It's a cost cutting measure, they already use indians to do the same online mass opinion manipulation.

[Guest Wall Bird]

This raises serious questions about the potential for abuse, and how can one could come to trust an entity over the internet.

 

What do you think is a good counter, if any? All I can come up with is good old-fashioned human contact, something which has diminished with the development of social networking.

 

I'm beginning to dislike interconnected digital systems more and more for the amount of power that individuals are capable of wielding. Certainly, inventions like the internet are a two-way road that can be employed in positive ways that were unthinkable until recently, but I wonder what level of interconnectedness and, consequently, vulnerability will society accept as these technologies develop?

[kaini]

woah. as a very regular wiki editor, i've seen the sort of crazy shit that sockpuppetry can do when properly co-ordinated. this is mental. that being said i'm very doubtful if the software can pass the turing test when it comes to anyone halfway savvy.

[Guest ezkerraldean]

woah. as a very regular wiki editor, i've seen the sort of crazy shit that sockpuppetry can do when properly co-ordinated. this is mental. that being said i'm very doubtful if the software can pass the turing test when it comes to anyone halfway savvy.

yeah i've heard it can be bad in wikiland. what kind of shit do they tend to target and what do they do?

[kaini]

woah. as a very regular wiki editor, i've seen the sort of crazy shit that sockpuppetry can do when properly co-ordinated. this is mental. that being said i'm very doubtful if the software can pass the turing test when it comes to anyone halfway savvy.

yeah i've heard it can be bad in wikiland. what kind of shit do they tend to target and what do they do?

 

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Grawp

basically the best vandal ever

 

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Willy_on_wheels

and the second-best vandal ever

 

anyway

[skotosa]

Well this is what they will use to Attack people on the Web to pass new Security Measures on the Web much like when they attacked The World Trade Centers and got Home Land Security Act and got a guy to put a bomb up his ass so they could pass the Scanners at airports.

 

Be ready to have to take your shoes off and be groped by an officers near by your house so you can login to facebook.

[Guest disparaissant]

is troon the beta version of the software?!?

[delet...]

I'm sorry, but your avatar is annoying.

[awepittance]

is troon the beta version of the software?!?

 

if Planet Mu, Hyperdub and some other labels have bought this software from the military already, it is a possibility

[Guest Super lurker ultra V12]

is troon the beta version of the software?!?

 

if Planet Mu, Hyperdub and some other labels have bought this software from the military already, it is a possibility

 

[Salvatorin]

I'm sorry, but your avatar is annoying.

misogyny

[Salvatorin]

I'm sorry, but your avatar is annoying.

misogyny

just messin btw

[Guest disparaissant]

I'm sorry, but your avatar is annoying.

misogyny

just messin btw

anyone who doesn't like kate bush HATES ALL WOMEN

or something

[autopilot]

Solution: Don't use Facebook or Twitter

[Guest yikes]

wayn?

 

here it is

http://www.wayn.com/waynsplash.html

 

fresh from darpa

[Guest hahathhat]

id be amazed if they could translate all the cat poop and diarrhea humor into measurable political action

 

the internet's really good at selling people things. they aren't going to fuck with it

[Guest Wall Bird]

Solution: Don't use Facebook or Twitter

 

That's a pretty short-sighted bandage. What do you propose once this problem spreads to other places?

[Guest ezkerraldean]

subliminal Pentagon messages in BOC songs

[Guest inteeliguntdesign]

In an internet war, won't /b/ automatically win? I mean, the gov'ment will probably pay for companies to develop complex strategies. But a boat load of organised adolescent with a lust for being pricks. Sounds like a no-brainer.

[kaini]

/b/ aren't organised