More details emerged today of the FBI’s use of a fake news story to capture a 15-year-old suspected of making phony bomb threats, and the bureau actually had an agent impersonate an Associated Press reporter.
In the sting, the agent pretended to be an AP author of a fake story about the suspect, and sent him a link to the story, which included malware that the FBI used to track him down.
The Associated Press blasted the move as “unacceptable,” and is pushing the Justice Department to promise to never again agree to impersonate a news agency for the sake of infecting people with malware.
FBI Director James Coney was defiant, however, insisting that “only the suspect was fooled.” He insisted that it was legal to “use deception at times to catch crooks.”
The concern is that the FBI’s creation of phony news stories tied to real news agencies for the sake of spreading malware to “suspects” will add fear surrounding the use of legitimate news websites, since the FBI’s assessment of who is a “suspect” is notoriously broad.
In lieu of apologies and large settlements, I think it's imperative that AP reporters begin to impersonate FBI. Since that's something feds would kidnap and 'try' them for, it's important that the rest of us help out. Need at least, say, a million people willing to impersonate FBI so AP doesn't get closed down for appropriate retaliation: Hands Across The Hoover Boyz …? …alright, so we need a better name for it…
"…will add fear surrounding the use of legitimate news websites…"
Yeah, well, that is a problem because legitimate news websites are not easily found. Perhaps if those news sites who consider themselves "legitimate" actually did some real investigative reporting instead of just being stenographers for those with agendas they might have an argument. There is no law against impersonating a reporter but there is against impersonating a law enforcement official.
People don't have a problem with law enforcement impersonating drug dealers and pimps. I fail to see the difference between them and reporters.
" I fail to see the difference between them and reporters. "
Open your eyes Richard.
A free press, which we no longer have, is indispensable in a functioning democracy.
Drug dealers and pimps are not.
Mental darkness — Illusions of good hiding a criminal intent
What Empire USA is all about, for when every matter, fact and thing coming out of government is a mixture of fact and fiction, with the intent to be enriched upon our misery, then how can our entertainment loving and pleasure obsessed public be anything other then slave-drivers in pursuit of Empire Glory?
As for the illusion that government needs to be deceitful, now what if a law was passed that abolished the CIA and all the other covert branches of government, plus made it a criminal offense for anyone in government to in any way fool the public? Surely, it would be heaven on earth.
Wow. My tax money was used to entrap a 15 YO? And the "complaint" is the FBI pretended to be AP reporter? How about not using taxpayer money for this in the first place?
Doubtless this will go on the record as a great victory in thwarting a dangerous terrorist conspiracy.