US Military's 'sock puppets' on Social Media

The US Military

The US military is developing an army of sock puppets that will secretly manipulate social media sites to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda, it was reported in the Guardian Newspaper.

US servicemen and women have been encouraged to give their socks new identities with the addition of googly eyes and wool for hair. Some recruits have even gone as far as using sharpies to draw mouths and noses. Once disguised, the sock 'puppets' are then encouraged to spread pro-American propaganda throughout the world.

Critics have complained that the 'puppets' are short on conversation and do not interact well  with others, but US Government sources insist that each sock has a convincing background, history and supporting details, and false identities were commonplace on social media sites anyway.

A US spokesman Commander Bill Hickock, said: "The sock puppets and their positive slant all things America, are important to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the US."

He said none of the interventions would be in English, as it would be unlawful to "address US audiences" with such technology, and that all socks would be fluent in languages such as Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Pashto.

Sock Puppet Technology is seen by senior US commanders as a vital counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation programme. In evidence to the US Senate's armed services committee last year, General David Pitpony described the operation as an effort to "counter extremist ideology and propaganda and to ensure that credible voices in the region are heard". He said the US military's objective was to be "first with the truth, justice and the American way."