Operation Earnest Voice

In August of 2013, the report Smart Power and U.S. National Strategy from the Joint Special Operations University, stated the following about Operation Earnest Voice:

A recently disclosed U.S. classified operation seeks to develop software that allows the use of fake online identities or “sock puppets” to influence Internet conversations and spread strategic communications. According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Navy Commander Bill Speaks, “The technology supports classified blogging activities on foreign language websites to enable CENTCOM to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the U.S. When completed, the software would allow the U.S. to “respond to emerging online conversations with any number of coordinated messages, blogposts, chatroom posts and other interventions.” According to the statement, the original operation had been revealed in 2010 during oversight testimony by General Petraeus, then commander of CENTCOM, before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. It was part of a vital CT and counter-radicalization program called Operation Earnest Voice (OEV), a psychological operations program to counter the al-Qaeda online narrative presence. In testimony before the Senate committee, General James Mattis, then CENTCOM commander, further explained that OEV sought “to disrupt recruitment and training of suicide bombers; deny safe havens for our adversaries; and counter extremist ideology.” What remains undisclosed is what metrics are used to establish success or failure in these operations. As the existence of this type of sensitive technology and its intended uses go viral, it will amount to an invitation to our adversaries and rivals to engage in similar uses, and/or adopt countermeasures, with unknown future consequences for us and the world at large.

Credit to The Guardian for breaking the story about the operation in 2011.

The Black Vault requested information from CENTCOM regarding Operation Earnest Voice, and was informed that 100% of the information was classified in 2013. That denial is archived below for reference purposes, and stated that 13 pages were being withheld.

In 2018, a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request was filed by The Black Vault to get the 13 responsive pages that were originally denied, reviewed and released to the public.

It would take until December of 2022 for the records to be partially released. That release is below.

Document Archive

2023 Release under FOIA

Operation Earnest Voice [145 Pages, 8MB]

2022 Partial Release under MDR

Operation Earnest Voice [14 Pages, 1MB]

2013 Denial Letter

 CENTCOM’s 2013 Denial of Records – Exemption (b)(1) [ 2 Pages, 0.4MB ]

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