Monday, February 28, 2011
The U.S. Air Force may be trying to manipulate social media websites by creating large numbers of phony people to push across desired viewpoints.
Uncovered by Happy Rockefeller of Daily Kos and others, the Air Force has reached out to private technology companies to obtain “persona management software” that would allow a single person to “command virtual armies of fake, digital people” on sites such as Facebook.
These phony users could appear to be anywhere in the world, while offering opinions that give the sense of consensus on key topics deemed important by the military.
Lt. Cmdr. Bill H. Speaks, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, explained that although a contract for persona management software was awarded in August 2010 to Ntrepid Corporation, it is only being used on “foreign, non-English speaking” websites.
-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff
Military’s ‘Persona’ Software Cost Millions, Used for ‘Classified Social Media Activities’ (by Stephen Webster, Raw Story)
Revealed: Air Force Ordered Software to Manage Army of Fake Virtual People (by Stephen Webster, Raw Story)
The HB Gary Email That Should Concern Us All (by Happy Rockefeller, Daily Kos)
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