The spreading of mis-dis-or mal-information technically allows various antiterrorism laws, policies and government programmatic infrastructure to be deployed to counter such information. The levels of propaganda are classified by color: white, gray and black propaganda.
White propaganda is the type in which the purpose is transparent, the producer is known and is mainly based on truth. The whole truth about a product will not be told, however. How many times have we seen that a harmless product was later proven to be very dangerous after the public had been using it for decades? The mayor of a large city just vetoed a ban on flouride in the city’s drinking water. Flouride is a poison, but the propaganda on it has everyone confused.
Gray propaganda is communication of a false narrative or story from an unattributed or unknown source. Because the viewer or reader doesn’t know the source, they can’t determine the motives behind the message. This is a common practice in modern corporate media-they tend to blast out sensational news and then walk it back. But I don’t watch mainstream media, so I only get the more outrageous snippets.
Black propaganda is used to vilify an opponent or enemy through misrepresentation. When used effectively, the target is unaware that they are the person or persons being used to influence society. It is associated with covert psychological operations (psyops). Black propaganda relies on the recievers’ willingness to accept the source’s credibility. Congresspeople are going home to very angry voters. How long will it take for them to accept the voters’ message and do something about Trump?
Computational propaganda can be descibed as an “emergent form of political manipulation that occurs over the internet.” Computational algorithmic propaganda is used in social media such as blogs, forums and other websites involving public participation and discussion. By using advanced tools scheemers can spread false news around the internet. YouTube is infamous for this. Right now there is a rumor that Trump will declare martial law on April 20. April 20 is a famous date for bad events. Social engineering also uses these tools; they are referred to as “nudge” technologies.
The tools available to modern propagandists have become increasingly sophisticated, and the internet is a force multiplier. There is the ability to hypnotize individuals and targeted groups functionally, and to control all that they think, feel and believe based on information control and manipulation. There are no laws limiting how these tools can be used. We are being subjected to data mining, but so far our personal data is scattered all over the government infrastructure. Musk is trying to collect it all on one system, but he’s overwhelmed. Good! Our data is being combined with behavioral tools such as nudging, neurolinguistic programming, visualization, repetitive imagery and messenging, often employed through the use of bots and trolls.
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys 