Terrorists Using Virtual Worlds To Plan?

By Digital Trends Staff February 7, 2008

Terrorists Using Virtual Worlds To Plan? Is it good intelligence or simply more war on terror paranoia? We may never know. But the US intelligence agency, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) has warned that terroristmight be using Second Life or other virtual communities to meet and plan ideas for the future, according to a report on Vnunet. They’re so serious about it that they’ve recommended agencies put teams of operatives in virtual worlds to track activity. Of course, agenciessaid the same thing about the Internet and cell phones, which has led to increased surveillance powers on both, raising the hackles of privacy advocates. But IARPA, insisting the virtualworlds are a “Wild West environment,” said, "Unfortunately, what started out as a benign environment where people would congregate to share information or explore fantasyworlds is now offering the opportunity for religious/political extremists to recruit, rehearse, transfer money and ultimately engage in information warfare or worse with impunity."

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