Fox News Used Spy Tactics To Sway Public Opinion

There's a strange subterranean world where Fox News and military intelligence meets, and that's in the comments section.

Utilizing something called sock puppets - fake social media or Internet personas - Fox's public relations specialists were expected to counter "negative" or "even neutral" commentary on posts about the network.

They even used common counterintelligence tactics in order to mask their cyber footsteps, NPR media reporter David Folkenflik alleges in his forthcoming book, "Murdoch's World."

Liberal Media watchdog Media Matters highlighted one paragraph in particular that sums up the practice:

One former staffer recalled using twenty different aliases to post pro-Fox rants. Another had one hundred. Several employees had to acquire a cell phone thumb drive to provide a wireless broadband connection that could not be traced back to a Fox News or News Corp account. Another used an AOL dial-up connection, even in the age of widespread broadband access, on the rationale it would be harder to pinpoint its origins. Old laptops were distributed for these cyber operations. Even blogs with minor followings were reviewed to ensure no claim went unchecked.

Oddly enough, the Air Force contracted HBGary Federal to develop a tool that would allow sophisticated military intelligence in order to gather intel on potential terrorists and to sway public opinion in foreign online communities.

The NYPD even uses fake personas to bust criminals. And, hilariously enough, the Taliban pretends to be hot chicks to scoop information from hot dogging Aussie soldiers.

Take note, that is probably the first time that Fox News, the Air Force, the NYPD, and the Taliban all occupy the same subset of company SOP.

Hopefully it's the last.