Investigative journalists say an Israeli company has been paid to rig global elections. The so-called “Team Jorge” also carried out eavesdropping attacks on behalf of its clients to obtain information for “dirty campaigns”.
According to the results of the investigation, involving the “Spiegel”, the “Zeit” and the ZDF, “Team Jorge” has international clients from business and politics. According to the research platform Forbidden Stories, the former military and agents use fake news and hacking methods to further their clients’ goals.
Reporters crept in on company
The reports are based on six hours of secretly recorded conversations in which company manager Tal Hanan and his team present their service. The team has so far intervened in 33 national election campaigns and votes, including in Kenya and Nigeria.
In the recording, Tal Hanan can be heard saying that 27 of the missions were successful. For social media manipulation, the team has developed its own platform called Aims, which can be used to create verified user accounts. However, not all claims could be independently verified, it said.
“Army” of social media bots in action
According to reporters, the company is based in the Israeli city of Modiin, about halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The team controls an “army” of more than 30,000 bots, the British “Guardian” reports Wednesday. These are social media profiles that are not endorsed by real people.
These bots are extremely cleverly designed and simultaneously represented on various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. According to the team, they are also capable of hacking into Telegram and Gmail. Public opinion is deliberately influenced with the help of dirt bucket campaigns and stolen information.
Hanan charges between $400,000 and $600,000 a month for his services. The Israeli businessman reportedly denied any wrongdoing.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
