Internet trolling

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

George Monbiot in his blog on the Guardian posted a disturbing article about a new phenomenon on the Internet - "astroturfing" - artificially created and imposed on Internet users, supposedly "public opinion". The author writes that today the need to protect the Internet from "astroturfing" is becoming more and more urgent.

This is what it is about.

Astroturfing is the use of sophisticated software in order to drown out the opinions of real users on Internet forums and change their opinion to something else, so to speak, necessary. Today this phenomenon is on the rise and, unfortunately, we can no longer be sure that what we read on the Web is written by real people. In his article, the author cites the story of one "fighter" from a whole army of astroturfers, but simply a "troll" who makes a living in this way, who told that by penetrating into various network forums, he defended the interests of a certain anonymous company. To avoid detection and create the impression of widespread support for his pro-corporate arguments, he used over 70 (!!!) nicknames. Like other team members, he posed as a disinterested user, at the same time, pursuing a clear goal, namely, to create the necessary "public opinion" for himself.

The most disturbing news is that according to George Monbiot, a tender has already been announced for the supply of special software that could create up to "ten persons for one user" and supply astroturfers with randomly selected IP addresses, as well as create static IP addresses for each "person" so that astroturfers could alternately speak on her behalf (how can you not recall Gogol's "Dead Souls"). The author warns that such software could potentially completely destroy the World Wide Web as a forum for constructive and independent debate. After all, even today the squads of well-coordinated astroturfers-trolls with might and main comment “in their favor” on various Internet resources, achieving serious commercial results.

How can we stop this?

These are the disappointing news. The Internet as a "territory of freedom" is shrinking.

“Comments are what makes information socially important” is a network truth. Either this is a discussion of topical news, or reviews of the site purchase, it is not important, but what is important is that in this way public opinion is formed on any issue and I really do not want this formation to be led by such “gray cardinals” of the Internet.

At the same time, it is naive to assert that the development of the Internet in the world of "information wars" will take place without the participation of "interested parties" and such a phenomenon as "astroturfing" proves this once again. Today's media are completely in the service of "manipulators", but the Internet has developed, in contrast to the "zombie", as a free information space … it is still free, and what will happen to the Internet tomorrow is not clear, because no one has yet canceled the axiom “Who owns information, he owns the world”.

US military will manipulate social media (fragment)

The US military is developing a program that will allow them to covertly manipulate social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter using dummy figures to influence online discussions and spread American propaganda.

The California corporation won the tender and was awarded a contract with the US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia. The corporation must create an "online identity control system" that will allow the American employee to manage ten different personalities around the world. Experts compare this project with the attempts of the Chinese authorities to control and restrict freedom of speech on the Internet. Critics of the project are confident that this system will allow the US military to reach false consensus in the right discussions, spam unwanted opinions and change messages that do not coincide with the interests of the Department of Defense.

The very fact that the US military is developing a mechanism to create fake online identities, called "bots" on the Internet, could lead other governments, private companies and non-state companies to want to do something similar.

According to the Centcom contract, every fake online identity must have a believable past and history, and that any of the 50 identity managers will be able to operate the fake online identity from their work computers "without fear of being exposed by cunning adversaries."

Centcom spokesman Captain Bill Speaks said: "The technology allows secret blogging in foreign languages that will enable Centcom to counter extremists and enemy propaganda outside of the United States." He also stated that there would be no interference in English, as it would be illegal to "reach out to American society" with this technology, and any Centcom English-speaking interference in social media would be immediately noticeable. The online intervention is planned to be conducted in four languages: Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Pashto.

Once the software development is complete, US executives will be able to respond in a coordinated manner to emerging messages on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, chat rooms and other forms of online communication, working 24 hours a day in one place. According to some information, the center will be based at McDeal Air Force Base near the city of Tampa in Florida, where the US Special Operations Command is located.

The Centcom contract requires each manager to be assigned one "personal virtual server" in the US and others outside the country to give the impression that the fake identities are located in different parts of the world.

The contract also requires "blended traffic", combining the manager's Internet traffic with traffic outside of Centcom, which will create "the perfect cover and opportunity for denial based on ignorance of the consequences."

The contract is part of the Operation Earnest Voice (OEV) program, which was designed to psychologically combat online speeches by al-Qaeda and other anti-coalition forces in Iraq. Since then, the JIU program budget has grown to $ 200 million. The program is believed to have been used in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

For many senior American officials, the JIU program is a vital necessity in the fight against terrorism and religious radicalism. Last year, General David Petraes, then head of Centcom, speaking before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, described the program as "a means of fighting extremist ideology and propaganda, and as a guarantee that objective opinions are heard in these regions." … He stated that the main goal of the US military is to be on the "side of the truth."

In March, General Gen Mattis, who chairs Centcom, told the same committee that the JIU supports "any activity that subverts enemy ideology and includes activities on the Internet." Centcom confirmed that the $ 2.76 million contract went to Ntrepid, a company recently incorporated in Los Angeles. Centcom declines to disclose whether the software is currently in use or any details of the contract.

Original publication: Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media