EXPLOITING TECHNOLOGY TO UNDERMINE DEMOCRACY

The AIMS software is designed to create avatars for social media campaigns. These bots use stolen photos of real people, operate on any social media platform

A recent disconcert-ing report based on an investigation carried by 30 global media outlets, including the Guardian and DeSpiegel, claims to have exposed a team of freelance units based in Israel, which disrupt elections and manipulate public opinion using disinformation campaigns.

Undercover reporters recorded a group of covert cyber influence specialists as they pitched their services for seeking fresh business, which involve using disinformation campaigns, false intelligence, hacks and blackmail to promote their clients’ interests. The group, which calls itself ‘Team Jorge’, claims to have worked on dozens of presidential elections around the world and charges multimillion-dollar fees.

Undercover journalists who carried out the investigation included Gur Meggido (The Marker), Frederic Metezeau (Radio France), and Omer Benjakob (Haaretz).

The journalists were part of a collaborative investigation called ‘Story Killers’, which was coordinated by ‘Forbidden Stories’ -- an international consortium of investigative journalists that pursue the work of journalists who have been killed or work under threat.

As reported, the covert units or contractors, used the pseudonym ‘Team Jorge’ headed by Tal Hanan, who previously worked as an Israeli special forces operative, and was apparently caught in an undercover sting operation by the journalists posing as potential clients.

However, Tal Hanan denies any wrongdoing. But he allegedly told the reporters that his unit’s services were available to intelligence agencies, political campaigns, and private companies, and that many European, African, Americans well as Central and South American clients had already used them around the globe.