Image: US Army/Pixabay
An explosive exposé by The Washington Post just revealed the extent and influence of online psychological operations conducted by US military intelligence across various social media platforms. According to the article, The White House is disturbed by the ongoing internet manipulation and dissemination of potential (mis/dis) information these agencies are engaged in - and is ordering an investigation. The issue first came to light after Facebook and Twitter discovered and removed an unspecified number of "pro-West" social media accounts originating in the United States allegedly managed by military intelligence.
The Biden administration expressed its concerns over the tactics the Defense Department is deploying in order to manipulate the public's perception on issues such as the war in Ukraine, China's aggressive stand on Hong Kong, and overall anti-Russian and anti-Iranian regime sentiments. But conspiracy aficionados believe these intelligence agencies may be expanding their "online tentacles" into all aspects of society. Although the military has expressed that these strategies "support our national security priorities," last week, Colin Kahl - the undersecretary of defense for policy - instructed the Pentagon to provide a full account and justification of its online psychological operations by the end of October.
