Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 19 submissions in the queue.
posted by janrinok on Tuesday March 18 2014, @04:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the leave-my-internet-alone dept.

mrbluze writes:

"The eye keeps getting bigger. The Guardian Reports on the U.K. Ministry of Defence's plans to weaponize social media:

With the advent of sophisticated data-processing capabilities (including big data), the big number-crunchers can detect, model and counter all manner of online activities just by detecting the behavioural patterns they see in the data and adjusting their tactics accordingly.

'Cyberwarfare of the future may be less about hacking electrical power grids and more about hacking minds by shaping the environment in which political debate takes place,' he (Dr. Tim Stevens, Kings College London) added. The research into the programmes, which are designed to emulate human conversation and are familiar as 'virtual assistants' on retailers' websites, envisages a future in which 'an influence bot could be deployed in both covert and overt ways - on the web, in IM/chatrooms/forums or in virtual worlds.'

The proposed uses for this research are to keep tabs on the activities of soldiers, as an example, but the possibility of manipulating the public is also at the forefront."

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by ikanreed on Tuesday March 18 2014, @05:20PM

    by ikanreed (3164) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 18 2014, @05:20PM (#18170) Journal

    Like spying, they totally promise government produced propaganda is only directed at other countries.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +4  
       Insightful=3, Funny=1, Total=4
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 5, Funny) by Bot on Tuesday March 18 2014, @05:30PM

    by Bot (3902) on Tuesday March 18 2014, @05:30PM (#18174) Journal

    Hello ikanreed
    The sarcastic tone in your comment has been noted.
    Have a nice day.

    --
    Account abandoned.
  • (Score: 2) by davester666 on Tuesday March 18 2014, @06:06PM

    by davester666 (155) on Tuesday March 18 2014, @06:06PM (#18190)

    Like spying, they totally promise government produced propaganda is only directed at non-citizens.

  • (Score: 2) by Dunbal on Tuesday March 18 2014, @06:47PM

    by Dunbal (3515) on Tuesday March 18 2014, @06:47PM (#18203)

    Or anyone who ever had anything to do with anyone in another country. Ooops.