{"id":60075,"date":"2015-06-22T13:39:39","date_gmt":"2015-06-22T12:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=60075"},"modified":"2015-06-22T13:39:39","modified_gmt":"2015-06-22T12:39:39","slug":"controversial-gchq-unit-engaged-in-domestic-law-enforcement-online-propaganda-psychology-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2015\/06\/controversial-gchq-unit-engaged-in-domestic-law-enforcement-online-propaganda-psychology-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversial GCHQ Unit Engaged in Domestic Law Enforcement, Online Propaganda, Psychology Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
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22 Jun 2015 – <\/em>The spy unit responsible for some of the United Kingdom\u2019s most controversial tactics of surveillance, online propaganda and deceit focuses extensively on traditional law enforcement and domestic activities \u2014 even though officials typically justify its activities by emphasizing foreign intelligence and counter-terrorism operations.<\/p>\n

Documents published today by The Intercept<\/em>\u00a0demonstrate how the Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG), a unit of the signals intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), is involved in efforts against political groups it considers \u201cextremist,\u201d Islamist activity in schools, the drug trade, online fraud, and financial scams.<\/p>\n

Though its existence was secret until last year, JTRIG quickly developed a distinctive profile in the public understanding, after documents from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed<\/a> that the unit had engaged in \u201cdirty tricks\u201d like deploying sexual \u201choney traps\u201d designed to discredit targets, launching denial-of-service attacks to shut down internet chat rooms, pushing veiled propaganda onto social networks, and generally warping discourse<\/a> online.<\/p>\n

Early official claims attempted to create the impression that JTRIG\u2019s activities focused on international targets in places like Iran, Afghanistan, and Argentina<\/a>. The closest the group seemed to get to home was in its targeting of trans-national \u201chacktivist\u201d group Anonymous.<\/p>\n

While some of the unit\u2019s activities are focused on the claimed\u00a0areas, JTRIG also appears to be intimately involved in traditional law enforcement areas and UK-specific activity, as previously unpublished\u00a0documents demonstrate. An August, 2009 JTRIG memo entitled \u201cOperational Highlights\u201d boasts of \u201cGCHQ\u2019s first serious crime effects operation\u201d to shut down internet forums and to remove websites identifying police informants and members of a witness protection program. Another was \u201cused to facilitate and execute online fraud.\u201d The document also describes GCHQ advice provided \u201cto assist the UK negotiating team on climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Particularly revealing is a fascinating 42-page document<\/a> from 2011 detailing JTRIG\u2019s activities. It provides the most comprehensive and sweeping insight to date into the scope of this unit\u2019s extreme methods. Entitled \u201cBehavioral Science Support for JTRIG\u2019s Effects and Online Humint [Human Intelligence] Operations,\u201d it describes the types of targets on which the unit focuses, the psychological and behavioral research it commissions and exploits, and its future organizational aspirations. It is authored by a psychologist, Mandeep K. Dhami.<\/p>\n

Among other things, the document lays out the tactics the agency uses to manipulate public opinion, its scientific and psychological research into how human thinking and behavior can be influenced, and the broad range of targets that are traditionally the province of law enforcement rather than intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n

JTRIG\u2019s domestic and law enforcement operations are made clear. The report states that the controversial unit \u201ccurrently collaborates with other agencies\u201d including the Metropolitan police, Security Service (MI5), Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Border Agency, Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and National Public Order and Intelligence Unit (NPOIU). The document highlights that key JTRIG objectives include \u201cproviding intelligence for judicial outcomes;\u201d monitoring \u201cdomestic extremist groups such as the English Defence League by conducting online HUMINT;\u201d \u201cdenying, deterring or dissuading\u201d criminals and \u201chacktivists;\u201d and \u201cdeterring, disrupting or degrading online consumerism of stolen data or child porn.\u201d<\/p>\n

It touts the fact that the unit \u201cmay cover all areas of the globe.\u201d Specifically, \u201coperations are currently targeted at\u201d numerous countries and regions including Argentina, Eastern Europe and the UK.<\/p>\n

JTRIG\u2019s domestic operations fit into a larger pattern of UK-focused and traditional law enforcement activities within GCHQ.<\/p>\n

Many GCHQ documents<\/a> describing the\u00a0\u201cmissions\u201d of its \u201ccustomers\u201d for which it works make clear that the agency has a wide mandate far beyond national security, including providing help on intelligence to the Bank of England, to the Department for Children, Schools and Families on reporting of \u201cradicalization,\u201d to various departments on agriculture and whaling activities, to government financial divisions to enable good investment decisions, to police agencies to track suspected \u201cboiler room fraud,\u201d and to law enforcement agencies to improve \u201ccivil and family justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Previous reporting on the spy agency established its focus on what it regards as political radicalism. Beyond JTRIG\u2019s targeting of Anonymous<\/a>, other parts of GCHQ targeted political activists deemed to be \u201cradical,\u201d even monitoring the visits of people to the WikiLeaks website<\/a>. GCHQ also stated in one internal memo that it studied and hacked popular software programs to \u201cenable police operations\u201d and gave two examples of cracking decryption software on behalf of the National Technical Assistance Centre, one \u201ca high profile police case\u201d and the other a child abuse investigation.<\/p>\n

The JTRIG unit of GCHQ is so notable because of its extensive use of propaganda methods and other online tactics of deceit and manipulation. A\u00a02011 report on\u00a0the organization\u2019s operations, published today, summarizes just some of those tactics:<\/p>\n

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Throughout this report, JTRIG\u2019s heavy reliance on its use of behavioral science research (such as psychology) is emphasized as critical to its operations. That includes detailed discussions of how to foster \u201cobedience\u201d and \u201cconformity\u201d:<\/p>\n

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\n\"gchq<\/a>In response to inquiries, GCHQ refused to provide on-the-record responses beyond its boilerplate claim that all its activities are lawful.<\/p>\n

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Documents published with this article:<\/em><\/p>\n