We all know that the NSA, GCHQ and others are involved in gathering information by means of mass surveillance.
Information is power and mass surveillance is a gold mine for government institutions and politicians.
Now we learn that the british NSA affiliate GCHQ is involved in manipulating information on the Internet.
It is nothing new that western intelligence organisations sometimes use aggressive methods, such as IT-attacks. But that they manipulate, influence and change information on the net is. (At least in their own countries. Even though we might have suspected it.)
This is something different than surveillance. This is deception on a Mind Control scale. This is government trying to change the way the general public perceive the world. This is the ruling classes undermining citizens possibilities to make informed choices. This is Orwellian.
Such methods simply do not belong in a democratic society.
Government officials and civil servants ought to remember that their job is to to serve the public. Politicians should remember that they are in office to represent the people. But apparently they do not.
/ HAX
Links:
The Intercept: Hacking Online Polls and Other Ways British Spies Seek to Control the Internet »
The Guardian: GCHQ has tools to manipulate online information, leaked documents show »
The surveillance society indicates a shift to post-democracy with pseudo-feodal traits.
stx