US Army Expands Surveillance to Monitor ‘Negative Sentiment’ on Social Media

Knowledge Nuggets:

• The Protective Services Battalion (PSB) of the US Army, the Department of Defense’s equivalent to the Secret Service, is now tracking negative comments about high-ranking officers on social media.
• Besides threats like kidnapping and assassination, the PSB’s role now includes safeguarding officers from ’embarrassment.’
• The PSB intends not only to monitor platforms for negative sentiment but also to identify the location of such posters.

A report by The Intercept highlights a startling development regarding the remit of the U.S. Army’s Protective Services Battalion (PSB).

Beyond its established mandate to protect the country’s top-ranking officers from serious threats such as kidnapping and assassination, the PSB has now expanded its surveillance operations to track ‘negative sentiment’ about these officers on social media.

The expansion of the PSB’s mandate, as revealed in a 2022 Army procurement document acquired by The Intercept, represents a significant shift in its security strategy.

The PSB is now tasked with monitoring social media for not just direct threats but also indirect and veiled threats, as well as negative sentiment specifically related to senior high-risk personnel.

Not stopping at mere observation, the Army also intends to locate the origin of such posts. This strategy combines social media data with a broad range of public and non-public information, which includes everything from public research and CCTV feeds to cellular location data and hacked information.

Moreover, the PSB plans to monitor not just mainstream social media platforms but also anonymous discussion forums and chat platforms.

This development raises some critical questions around the boundaries of surveillance, privacy rights, and free speech, especially considering the use of personal records and geo-fenced data, a practice wherein surveillance is focused on a specific area by marking it on a digital map.

The intricacies of how this information will be used to unveil threatening social media posts remain largely undefined, further deepening concerns over this new surveillance initiative.

Clear Thoughts:

The recent revelation that the U.S. Army’s Protective Services Battalion (PSB) now includes social media surveillance in its duty roster brings forth questions about the infringement of civil liberties and free speech. I can’t help but wonder if this move isn’t akin to the government overstepping its boundaries.

Protecting the nation’s highest-ranking officers from threats is undoubtedly a vital mission. However, the extent to which this monitoring has broadened raises eyebrows. The PSB, as it stands, will now be on the lookout for not just threats but ‘negative sentiments’ about these officers. This prompts the question: when does the reasonable protection of our top brass turn into an Orwellian crackdown on free speech?

The PSB’s intention to pinpoint the location of those making these posts paints a worrying picture of the lengths to which our government will go in its pursuit of ‘security.’ This tactic, which relies heavily on a trove of public and non-public data including personal records and location data, essentially breaches the privacy of its citizens.

What’s to stop these surveillance mechanisms from being used against private citizens voicing legitimate concerns or criticisms about our military leadership? As we tread this slippery slope, we must carefully balance our national security needs with the preservation of the very freedoms that make us American.

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