UK’s GCHQ has tools to manipulate online information, leaked documents show

The United Kingdom intelligence agency GCHQ has developed sophisticated tools to manipulate online polls, spam targets with SMS messages, track people by impersonating spammers and monitor social media postings, according to newly-published documents leaked by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The documents -- which were published on First Look Media with accompanying analysis from Glenn Greenwald -- disclose a range of GCHQ "effects" programs aimed at tracking targets, spreading information, and manipulating online debates and statistics.

Among the programs revealed in the document are:

• Gateway, the "ability to artificially increase traffic to a website".
• Clean Sweep, which "masquerade[s] Facebook wall posts for individuals or entire countries".
• Scrapheap Challenge, for "Perfect Spoofing Of Emails From Blackberry Targets".
• Underpass, to "change outcome of online polls".
• Spring Bishop, to find "private photos of targets on Facebook".