Thirty countries use 'armies of opinion shapers' to manipulate democracy – report

This article comes as no surprise. With all the attention paid to Russian hacking, it beggars belief to imagine other nations are not doing the same thing.

Linky

The governments of 30 countries around the globe are using armies of so called opinion shapers to meddle in elections, advance anti-democratic agendas and repress their citizens, a new report shows.

“Manipulation and disinformation tactics played an important role in elections in at least 17 other countries over the past year, damaging citizens’ ability to choose their leaders based on factual news and authentic debate,” the US government-funded charity said. “Although some governments sought to support their interests and expand their influence abroad, as with Russia’s disinformation campaigns in the United States and Europe, in most cases they used these methods inside their own borders to maintain their hold on power.”

I would be surprised if there are only 30 countries doing this. Once a weapon is available, what nation would not seek to use that weapon?

The report describes the varied forms this manipulation takes. In the Philippines, it is manifested as a “keyboard army” paid $10 a day to operate fake social media accounts, which supported Rodrigo Duterte in the run-up to his election last year, and backed his crackdown on the drug trade this year. Turkey’s ruling party enlisted 6,000 people to manipulate discussions, drive agendas and counter opponents. The government of Sudan’s approach is more direct: a unit within the country’s intelligence service created fake accounts to fabricate support for government policies and denounce critical journalists.

We live in an international world, so I am extremely dubious that these 'keyboard armies' are only active in the country they are allegedly trying to shape opinion in.

It's not so far-fetched that these 'armies' also exist in modern Western democracies like the U.S, Australia, and the U.K.

I wonder how many 'opinion shapers' may be here on ATS itself?

a reply to: bgerbger

“Manipulation and disinformation tactics played an important role in elections in at least 17 other countries over the past year, damaging citizens’ ability to choose their leaders based on factual news and authentic debate,” the US government-funded charity said.

Tell them to get in line. In the US the media shows a fine example all on their own for 'manipulation and disinformation.'

Modern Western democracies and even not so modern countries rely on their morning and evening newscast to drive the herd in a single direction.. Unfortunately most of us think we know something because someone told us or we read a book/saw a movie... Very few can see through the B.S. unless they were actually there and know the truth..

a reply to: bgerbger

This is why every thread with Trump or Hillary, Dem or Rep in the headline goes up to 3 pages in 20 minutes.

It´s funny to see how a "U"S "NGO" blames other nations of using the same methods the "U"S uses, on the whole world, since at least decades!

Here in the UK the political parties use 'spin doctors' to make policies palatable and mould public opinion.

It's disgraceful really.

The only slight difference I think is it's probably harder to hide these armies in liberal western democracies.

If we had farms of digital propaganda makers, somebody would probably talk to the press.


... So I imagine the western democracies are probably outsourcing these operations...

a reply to: DerBeobachter

But that's because the US wan't a monopoly. Can't have another overseas election rigged that's not in the US's economic interest.

a reply to: bgerbger

Why, in a true democracy would you even need 'opinion shapers'?

Because the original idea of democracy in this day and age is a total sham

a reply to: JinMI

Tell them to get in line. In the US the media shows a fine example all on their own for 'manipulation and disinformation.'

The USA is # one...Its their # one export as well using the CIA/USAID ... Here in Canada if we want to know what the CBC is reporting all we have to do is turn on CNN .

a reply to: bgerbger

Propaganda science is very well understood:

a reply to: Zcustosmorum

See the video in my posted. They tell you exactly the rationale behind the propaganda.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Another aspect to feed into the human vulnerability is the education system ...Prior to the public education system mandated people were either well taught or at least not dumbed down .

a reply to: Painterz

You say that, but the US mass surveillance infrastructure was only properly outed when Snowden made his announcements, despite the fact that the infrastructure had been growing in potency for decades, previously directed toward phone conversations over the telephone wires, rather than digital information sent in packets in the way with which we are more familiar these days.

There's nothing to surprise here. The more autocratic and repressed the society is, the more insidious the levels of censorship, media control and now, social media control.

People whining-on about about the US press need to take a look at some of these other countries. In any democratic developed nation you have media that is not controlled by the incumbent government and they don't have industries of control, as in China.

Too bad critical thinking skills seem lacking and confirmation bias exists in excess.

Fertile ground.

Ignorance and fear make good fertilizer.