propaganda via fake accounts on popular social networking websites such
as Facebook and Twitter, Guardian wrote.
U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations
in the Middle East and Central Asia, awarded a contract to develop an
“online persona management service,” allowing one serviceperson to
control and manage up to 10 fake identities.
The fake personas, known as “sock puppets,” would have a convincing
background, history and other details, and will influence online
conversations “without fear of being discovered by sophisticated
adversaries.”
“The technology supports classified blogging activities on
foreign-language websites to enable Centcom to counter violent extremist
and enemy propaganda outside the U.S.,” Guardian quoted Centcom
spokesman Commander Bill Speaks as saying.
The paper writes that the project might prompt other states,
companies and non-governmental organizations to develop similar
techniques.
