Government Internet Trolls Are Paid To Use Psychological Influencing On You

Fact checked

If you’ve ever been attacked by what are known as internet trolls and wondered if they were being paid to attack you, you might be closer to the truth than you realized.

Thanks to Edward Snowden, we know that the government actually employs and pays internet trolls to comment on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, among other sites.  Often, they are paid to “guide” the conversation with government-supported beliefs and propaganda.

According to a new and fascinating article from the DC Clothesline [1]:

In the UK, the Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG) is a specialized unit within the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).  If it wasn’t for Edward Snowden, we probably still would never have heard of them.  This particular specialized unit is engaged in some very “questionable” online activities.  The following is an excerpt from a recent piece by Glenn Greenwald and Andrew Fishman…

Though its existence was secret until last year, JTRIG quickly developed a distinctive profile in the public understanding, after documents from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealedthat the unit had engaged in “dirty tricks” like deploying sexual “honey traps” designed to discredit targets, launching denial-of-service attacks to shut down Internet chat rooms, pushing veiled propaganda onto social networks and generally warping discourse online. [3]

We are told that JTRIG only uses these techniques to go after the “bad guys”.

But precisely who are the “bad guys”?

It turns out that their definition of who the “bad guys” are is quite broad.  Here is more from Glenn Greenwald and Andrew Fishman…[2]

JTRIG’s domestic and law enforcement operations are made clear. The report states that the controversial unit “currently collaborates with other agencies” including the Metropolitan police, Security Service (MI5), Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Border Agency, Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and National Public Order and Intelligence Unit (NPOIU). The document highlights that key JTRIG objectives include “providing intelligence for judicial outcomes”; monitoring “domestic extremist groups such as the English Defence League by conducting online HUMINT”; “denying, deterring or dissuading” criminals and “hacktivists”; and “deterring, disrupting or degrading online consumerism of stolen data or child porn.”

Particularly disturbing to me is the phrase “domestic extremist groups”.  What does someone have to say or do to be considered an “extremist”?  For example, the EnglishDefence League is a non-violent street protest movement in the UK that is strongly against the spread of radical Islam and sharia law in the UK.  So if they are “extremists”, how many millions upon millions of ordinary citizens in the United States would fit that definition?

When conducting operations against “extremists”, psychology-based influence techniques are among the tools that JTRIG uses to combat them online.  The following comes from one of the documents that was posted by Greenwald and Fishman…[4]

internet trolls

In other words, these government trolls try to mess with people’s minds.

And here is another document that was posted by Greenwald and Fishman that talks about how JTRIG uses YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to accomplish their goals…

internet trolls

It is very disturbing to think that some of the people that we may be interacting with on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are actually paid government agents that are purposely trying to feed us propaganda and misinformation.

And of course this kind of thing does not just happen in the United Kingdom.  In Canada, it has been publicly admitted that the government uses paid trolls to warp Internet discourse.  The following comes from Natural News…[5]

You’ve probably run into them before — those seemingly random antagonizers who always end up diverting the conversation in an online chat room or article comment section away from the issue at hand, and towards a much different agenda. Hot-button issues like illegal immigration, the two-party political system, the “war on terror” and even alternative medicine are among the most common targets of such attackers, known as internet “trolls” or “shills,” who in many cases are nothing more than paid lackeys hired by the federal governmentand other international organizations to sway and ultimately control public opinion.

Several years ago, Canada’s CTV News aired a short segment about how its own government had been exposed for hiring secret agents to monitor social media and track online conversations, as well as the activities of certain dissenting individuals. This report, which in obvious whitewashing language referred to such activities as the government simply “weighing in and correcting” allegedly false information posted online, basically admitted that the Canadian government had assumed the role of secret online police.
You can actually watch a video news report about what is happening up in Canada right here [6].

Needless to say, the U.S. government is also engaged in this kind of activity as well.  For instance, the U.S. government has actually been caught manipulating discourse on Reddit [7] and editing Wikipedia [8].  When it comes to spying, there is nobody that is off limits for our spooks.  It just came out recently that we even spied on three French presidents, and they are supposed to be our “friends”.

And just like the UK, the U.S. government has a very broad definition of “extremists” [9].  This has especially been true since Barack Obama has been in the White House.  If you doubt this, please see my previous article [10] entitled “72 Types Of Americans That Are Considered ‘Potential Terrorists’ In Official Government Documents“.

All of this is very disturbing to me.  Why can’t they just leave us alone and let us talk to one another?  Why do they have to spy on everything that we do and purposely try to manipulate public discourse?  Why do they have to be such control freaks?

Sources:

[1] http://www.dcclothesline.com/2015/07/02/government-trolls-are-using-psychology-based-influence-techniques-on-youtube-facebook-and-twitter/

[2] https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/06/22/controversial-gchq-unit-domestic-law-enforcement-propaganda/

[3] https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/

[4] https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/06/22/controversial-gchq-unit-domestic-law-enforcement-propaganda/

[5] http://www.naturalnews.com/042093_internet_trolls_chat_rooms_federal_government.html

[6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpVUYGcgtjw&feature=youtu.be

[7] http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/07/eglin-air-force-base-busted-gaming-reddit.html

[8] http://www.infowars.com/u-s-govt-editing-wikipedia-to-smear-independent-media-personalities/

[9] http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/07/24/feds-urge-paramedics-firefighters-help-find-extremists/

[10] http://www.dcclothesline.com/2013/08/29/72-types-of-americans-that-are-considered-potential-terrorists-in-official-government-documents/

Royce Christyn

Royce Christyn

Journalist at News Punch
Documentarian, Writer, Producer, Director, Author.
Royce Christyn

28 Comments

  1. This article is in effect, government trolling. It’s taking information that has been purposefully leaked someone being kept by a foreign state (Edward Snowden and Russia – at this point you’re now against me for writing that and may not continue reading) and using it to psychologically manipulate people into being paranoid that every person they meet who may disagree with them or wind you up (such as me writing this) may be a government troll.

    Well, yes, of course there are government trolls out there. Actually, everyone is trolling everyone else, modern life is about psychological manipulation, advertising, politics, work, social media and so on are all controlled and manipulated by lots of different groups.

    Here though, what we have in this article, is psychological manipulation aimed at cultivating dissent against ‘the west’. On that basis one explanation for its existence, intentional or not, is that the information on this page is ‘trolling’ instigated (perhaps without the author’s realisation) by pro Putin forces.

    Of course, you will disregard this. Or perhaps not, now I’ve told you you’ll disregard it, you may do the opposite. Either way, I’ve just trolled you.

  2. This article is in effect, government trolling. It’s taking information that has been purposefully leaked someone being kept by a foreign state (Edward Snowden and Russia – at this point you’re now against me for writing that and may not continue reading) and using it to psychologically manipulate people into being paranoid that every person they meet who may disagree with them or wind you up (such as me writing this) may be a government troll.

    Well, yes, of course there are government trolls out there. Actually, everyone is trolling everyone else, modern life is about psychological manipulation, advertising, politics, work, social media and so on are all controlled and manipulated by lots of different groups.

    Here though, what we have in this article, is psychological manipulation aimed at cultivating dissent against ‘the west’. On that basis one explanation for its existence, intentional or not, is that the information on this page is ‘trolling’ instigated (perhaps without the author’s realisation) by pro Putin forces.

    Of course, you will disregard this. Or perhaps not, now I’ve told you you’ll disregard it, you may do the opposite. Either way, I’ve just trolled you.

  3. If you think the English Defence League is ‘non-violent’, you’d better look a bit deeper.

  4. If you think the English Defence League is ‘non-violent’, you’d better look a bit deeper.

  5. Snowden has brought to light important information that deserved to be in the public domain. He recognised the NSAs surveillance programs for what they are: dangerous, undemocratic and unconstitutional activity. This wholesale invasion of privacy does not contribute to our security, it puts in danger the very liberties we are trying to protect. Does Snowden deserve a statue… http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321798691190

    • I think interestingly enough your comment is the only one here that I am confident is not compromised by government trolling. I guess government trolls are going to take an interest in articles like this more than anything else.

  6. Snowden has brought to light important information that deserved to be in the public domain. He recognised the NSAs surveillance programs for what they are: dangerous, undemocratic and unconstitutional activity. This wholesale invasion of privacy does not contribute to our security, it puts in danger the very liberties we are trying to protect. Does Snowden deserve a statue… http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321798691190

    • I think interestingly enough your comment is the only one here that I am confident is not compromised by government trolling. I guess government trolls are going to take an interest in articles like this more than anything else.

  7. They have to because they are afraid of us. They should, we may even hang them for treason! Perhaps!!!

  8. They have to because they are afraid of us. They should, we may even hang them for treason! Perhaps!!!

  9. The true dangerous extremists I see today are Muslims and idiots we have in DC right now. The biggest bunch of domestic terrorists there is.

  10. The true dangerous extremists I see today are Muslims and idiots we have in DC right now. The biggest bunch of domestic terrorists there is.

  11. Its only since Israel has taken control of the American political system that this government paranioa has become so apparent. The western mainstream media is 96% owned and controlled by Jews, The Federal Reserve is owned and controlled by Jews ever since 1913. The US congress is composed of over 60% Zionists and dual Israeli citizens. Who by the way gave the president of Israel Bibi NitwitYahoo, 29 standing ovations, thats not a typo! 29 standing ovations in a row when he was urging war against Iran in the US congress on trumped up charges. This is TREASON, the heads of the US armed forces know they are fighting wars on behalf of Israels MOSSAD but they do nothing to uphold the constitution of the USA. The elections are rigged, the Jewish media continually lies to the American people, while congress sends billions upon billions of taxpayers dollars back to Israel every year while people are homeless and unemployed and begging on the streets all over America, roads are potholed, bridges are failing,etc, etc. Obama gave Israel $38 billion as he left the presidency just to put a cherry on the pie. MOSSAD planned and executed 9/11 and it goes on and on, these crimes against the American people by Israel are TREASONOUS and need to be addressed by the American people once they realize they are frogs in a pot coming to the boil.

  12. US spying is a mere subset of Israel’s spy network.

    Israel’s “hasbara” trolls are paid to sabotage any & all online criticism of Jewish supremacism & Israel’s Zionist war crimes.

    An ex-Jewish Israeli IDF soldier, Gilad Atzmon, explains:

    “We are all aware of the Hasbara trolls, the Wikipedia Jews and the Israeli Neocon smear outlets. In the following important piece internet expert Jonathon Blakeley explores the vile and destructive impact of Sayanim and Hasbara agents on the social networks. What we really see is a surge of Zio-centric anti-social behaviour in our midst. They are united against humanity, humanism, pluralism, freedom of expression and tolerance basically all those things that are precious to the rest of us.”

    — [ http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/jonathon-blakeley-a-guide-to-hasbara-trolls.html ]

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