A recent report by The Intercept has exposed the United States military, for allegedly running a covert operation to monitore criticism of high-ranking military officials and identifying the precise locations of American netizens who express dissent on social media.
The investigation focuses on the activities of the U.S. Army Protective Services Battalion, responsible for protecting top generals from threats such as assassination, kidnapping, injury, or embarrassment.
However, the definition of threats has expanded to include online criticism, prompting the army to utilize its extensive resources for surveillance purposes. Government procurement records from September 2022 reveal that the army considers “direct, indirect, and veiled” threats, as well as negative sentiment towards its leadership, as grounds for monitoring individuals.
Privacy advocates, such as Ilia Siatitsa from Privacy International blasted the alleged operation and raised concerns over the army’s definition of threats and its implications for freedom of expression and privacy.
According to Siatitsa, while federal agencies may have legitimate reasons to monitor social media for potential dangers, the army’s approach blurs the line between legitimate surveillance and Orwellian practices.
“There may be legally valid reasons to intrude on someone’s privacy by searching for, collecting, and analyzing publicly available information, particularly when it pertains to serious crimes and terrorist threats,” Ilia Siatitsa, program director at Privacy International, said in a statement.
“However, expressing ‘positive or negative sentiment towards a senior high-risk individual’ cannot be deemed sufficient grounds for government agencies to conduct surveillance operations, even going as far as ‘pinpointing exact locations’ of individuals. The ability to express opinions, criticize, make assumptions, or form value judgments — especially regarding public officials — is a quintessential part of democratic society,” she argued.
According to the report, the army’s search for contractors capable of assisting with its surveillance efforts was outlined on a government contracting website. The request specifically mentions the need to identify fraudulent accounts, mitigate online threats, and monitor sentiments related to high-risk personnel.
Moreover, the army reportedly aims to acquire a reliable social media threat mitigation service equipped with advanced capabilities for collecting publicly available information. The toolkit should offer anonymity and security to conduct research while masking the identity of the user.
To accomplish this, the army mentions its access to the Twitter “firehose,” providing real-time access to all public tweets. The monitoring efforts extend beyond popular platforms like Twitter and Facebook, encompassing sites like Discord and the anonymous 4chan message board.
Furthermore, the army claims these measures are necessary for identifying counterterrorism, counter-extremism, and radicalization. The procurement document also reveals the army’s intention to utilize geo-fencing technology, allowing them to determine the geographical location of social media users.
Public concerns about surveillance of Americans have been ongoing since the revelation of state-sponsored domestic surveillance by agencies like the NSA and FBI over a decade ago.
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has made opposition to state surveillance a focal point of his campaign against President Joe Biden. Kennedy promises a three-pronged plan to dismantle spy agencies if elected, reflecting the increasing public demand for transparency and privacy in the face of expanding surveillance practices.
