The rise of social media has made it easier for spies to get in touch with people and turn them into intelligence assets. Data coming from MI5 claims that around 10,000 British citizens were approached by supposed spies on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, which is concerning because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up leading to national security emergencies. In an attempt to stop this from occurring, the UK government has just launched a brand new app.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this app is called Think Before You Link. Its main purpose is to educate people about what a potential contact with a foreign agent might look like, and that might help them report such contact if it ever arises. There have been cases where members of the civil service were made unwitting participants in espionage by foreign powers, with one even going to foreign countries to meet with these people.
What followed was a six month period in which this civil servant gave some rather sensitive information to these bad actors with all things having been considered and taken into account. The truly shocking thing here is that the civil servant did not know that the people he was in touch with were spies because they had a connection on LinkedIn where they met. Some civil servants have been approached by fake consultancies that look legitimate but in spite of the fact that this is the case are nothing but a front for spying.
The 10,000 or so people that were targeted like this represent a pretty big increase from last year, so the UK government definitely needed to step in. This also reveals the pernicious nature of social media, because for all of the good it has done it has brought a lot of harm into the world as well. People can unwittingly be made to betray their country without knowing it, and it is the hope of many that this app can stop that.
Read next: The Number Of Houses Around The World With Smart Devices Is Expected To Rise Further
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this app is called Think Before You Link. Its main purpose is to educate people about what a potential contact with a foreign agent might look like, and that might help them report such contact if it ever arises. There have been cases where members of the civil service were made unwitting participants in espionage by foreign powers, with one even going to foreign countries to meet with these people.
What followed was a six month period in which this civil servant gave some rather sensitive information to these bad actors with all things having been considered and taken into account. The truly shocking thing here is that the civil servant did not know that the people he was in touch with were spies because they had a connection on LinkedIn where they met. Some civil servants have been approached by fake consultancies that look legitimate but in spite of the fact that this is the case are nothing but a front for spying.
The 10,000 or so people that were targeted like this represent a pretty big increase from last year, so the UK government definitely needed to step in. This also reveals the pernicious nature of social media, because for all of the good it has done it has brought a lot of harm into the world as well. People can unwittingly be made to betray their country without knowing it, and it is the hope of many that this app can stop that.
Read next: The Number Of Houses Around The World With Smart Devices Is Expected To Rise Further
