Twitterers paid to spread Israeli propaganda Internet warfare team unveiled

[ensho]

http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/news/1-/10793-twitterers-paid-to-spread-israeli-propaganda-internet-warfare-team-unveiled.html


The passionate support for Israel expressed on talkback sections of websites, internet chat forums, blogs, Twitters and Facebook may not be all that it seems.

Israel’s foreign ministry is reported to be establishing a special undercover team of paid workers whose job it will be to surf the internet 24 hours a day spreading positive news about Israel.

Internet-savvy Israeli youngsters, mainly recent graduates and demobilised soldiers with language skills, are being recruited to pose as ordinary surfers while they provide the government’s line on the Middle East conflict.

“To all intents and purposes the internet is a theatre in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we must be active in that theatre, otherwise we will lose,” said Ilan Shturman, who is responsible for the project.

The existence of an “internet warfare team” came to light when it was included in this year’s foreign ministry budget. About $150,000 has been set aside for the first stage of development, with increased funding expected next year.

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[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. I already run into a few of them.

They take poorly to the suggestion that they are being paid.

[Demstud]

3. How do you know?

How do you differentiate between a paid nut, and the typical nutcase?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. when someone I never heard of starts

commenting on my blog, and the same pops up with an identical (almost) post on related blogs, all in defense of Israel, I begin to think that something is afoot, and most likely not due to my clumsy dog walking.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Fortunately that should only have some bearing

on those who have already ceased to have a life.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HereSince1628]

5. Somehow present tense "establishing" doesn't seem quite right.

But then again, it may be that paying blogging supporters is the thing that is new.

It seems that Israel has had committed, active supporters for decades on every political website I've ever visited.

What has changed that Israel would now find the need to pay such folks? :shrug:

[Catherina]

7. "internet chat forums". Color me shocked. n/t

[xchrom]

8. i'm sure israel isn't the only one -- china comes to mind. nt

[EFerrari]

9. The Pentagon. n/t