An app that hijacks Twitter and Facebook with right-wing propaganda

January 6, 2022 5:08 AM

The Wire India has released a report on Tek Fog, an app claimed by whistleblowers to "hijack major social media and encrypted messaging platforms and amplify right-wing propaganda to a domestic audience" for the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party of the Republic of India. It allows users to directly hijack Twitter and Facebook "trending" data, phish WhatsApp accounts, exploit databases to harass private citizens, and allow operatives to destroy all traces of their activity.
posted by Shepherd (14 comments total)

The more I learn about the BJP, the less I like them. I try to educate myself about other political systems and political/social issues in other counties, but every time I see an article about the BJP (or Modi), my heart sinks.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:23 AM on January 6, 2022 [7 favorites]

Thanks for the post, Shepherd. Scary app, awesome investigative reporting over two years. The reporting is incredible, the results horrifying. Here's only a sample:

The screenshots and screencasts of the app show an extensive and dynamic cloud database of private citizens categorised according to their occupation, religion, language, age, gender, political inclination and even physical attributes. The screenshots also indicate that this database allows app operatives to 'auto-reply' to individuals or groups by connecting a Google Sheet or by auto generating keywords and phrases, a vast majority of which are abusive or derogatory.

Female reporters is one such category. Boobs was the only term I understood among the keyword slurs that have been automated for more convenient harassment. Those fuckers.
posted by Bella Donna at 5:35 AM on January 6, 2022 [12 favorites]

We've been waiting for proof that bad actors are using social media. Of course something like this exists - all it takes is money. Everything mentioned in here reminds me of what I've heard teens and hackers and Anonymous bragging about for years - and of course someone with money has systamitized it for political reasons.

I truly hope congress and the EU take this report seriously.
posted by rebent at 5:51 AM on January 6, 2022 [7 favorites]

I truly hope congress and the EU take this report seriously.

I expect they're viewing this as a roadmap, if they haven't already implemented their own equivalent.
posted by ook at 7:15 AM on January 6, 2022 [8 favorites]

a little early in the year to be terrified, but here we are
posted by elkevelvet at 7:23 AM on January 6, 2022 [5 favorites]

Ook, the EU has consistently been leading the way with data privacy and security. I feel like this is the type of thing they would either create laws against, or fund the development of tools to monitor and report this.

And while some members of Congress, and many 3-letter agencies in America, probably would purchase and use these tools, Congress is also in the unique position of directing our agencies to combat these tools by fighting fire with water.
posted by rebent at 7:28 AM on January 6, 2022 [7 favorites]

THAT's what tech-journalism is supposed to be. Bravo.
posted by signal at 7:31 AM on January 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Im starting to think this whole internet thing might not have been such a great idea.
posted by KeSetAffinityThread at 7:57 AM on January 6, 2022 [10 favorites]

a little early in the year to be terrified, but here we are

I haven't stopped being terrified from last year.
posted by bile and syntax at 8:27 AM on January 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

I'm surprised the app does a better job of amplifying right-wing content than Facebook already does on its own by default.
posted by caution live frogs at 12:38 PM on January 6, 2022 [7 favorites]

I truly hope congress and the EU take this report seriously.

Congress are often the ones being targeted using this tool.

One of the hashtags – #CongressAgainstLabourers – was shared 3by the source at 8:25 pm IST on May 4, 2020, as part of a screenshot revealing their 'daily task' list for that day. According to the same screen, the source was tasked with making the hashtag appear in at least 55,000 tweets and reach the 'trending' section of the platform.
posted by atrazine at 1:07 PM on January 6, 2022

Note that "Congress" in that hashtag likely means the Indian National Congress, the BJP's main political rival party, and not the American legislature.
posted by basalganglia at 6:05 PM on January 6, 2022 [9 favorites]

Of course, what else could it mean in a discussion about Indian politics?
posted by atrazine at 2:32 AM on January 7, 2022 [4 favorites]

Other comments started talking about US Congress. Trying to prevent a whole derail based on US-centric misunderstanding.
posted by basalganglia at 4:08 AM on January 7, 2022 [2 favorites]