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[Jon King]

Google Bankrolled By The CIA

Google, Facebook, eBay, PayPaL—Evidence is mounting that these internet giants could be CIA fronts...

Google: The All-Seeing Eye

Ever wondered who is behind the internet’s all-seeing eye, Google? Who put the ‘face’ in Facebook? Who’s ‘pal’ you’ve become when you send or receive through PayPal?

Ever thought Big Brother might be logging every sale and purchase you make on its virtual auction website, eBay?

No? Well if you think the above notions are little more than paranoid conspiracy fears, you’d best think again. Evidence that the CIA, directly or by proxy, bankrolled at least some of these internet giants, is mounting by the day.

Which means, if true, the world’s most powerful intelligence agency has more control over the internet than any of us might care to think.

Back in 2006 former CIA case officer, Robert Steele, made headline news when he revealed that Google was “in bed with the CIA”, confirming fears that the internet’s all-seeing eye is more a US government spy tool than a user-friendly search engine.

Further rummaging at the murky end of venture capital investment deals seems to suggest Steele knew exactly what he was talking about, as we shall see.

Google: And The PayPal Mafia

In 1999, PayPal became the world’s first virtual banking system, making it possible for surfers everywhere to send and receive money via the internet. The idea was conceived, and the website founded, by US futurist and entrepreneur, Peter Thiel.

These days Thiel is recognized as the godfather of what was recently dubbed by Fortune Magazine the ‘PayPal Mafia’, a group of super-wealthy Silicon Valley venture capitalists with alleged business ties to the CIA.

Indeed, according to some reports, it is largely via Silicon Valley’s venture capital boardrooms that the spy agency has taken control of the internet.

“The CIA is throwing caution (and several tens of millions of dollars) to the wind, joining the dot.com frenzy and investing in Silicon Valley,” wrote Andrew Gumbel in The Independent way back in April 2000. “It is not looking for the next cool way to swap musical downloads, or place orders for organic groceries. What it wants is a super-smart search engine to marshal all the information on the internet - in secret if possible.”

As the evidence reveals, that “super-smart search engine” would manifest itself in the form of Google. But first, the seemingly ubiquitous Peter Thiel...

For the record, PayPal was not Thiel’s only internet success. He is also the ‘face’ behind Facebook. While ostensibly true that Facebook is headed up by Harvard graduate Mark Zuckerberg, what is not so well publicized is that the internet’s phattest social networking empire was effectively the brainchild of Thiel and his entrepreneurial VC syndicate.

And that, via this syndicate, Facebook was early on picked up and deployed by the CIA as a social networking experiment.

“Facebook is a deliberate experiment in global manipulation,” wrote Tom Hodgkinson in the Guardian.

“The creators of the site need do very little bar fiddle with the programme. In the main, they simply sit back and watch as millions of Facebook addicts voluntarily upload their ID details, photographs and lists of their favourite consumer objects. Once in receipt of this vast database of human beings, Facebook then simply has to sell the information back to advertisers, or, as Zuckerberg puts it in a recent blog post, ‘to try to help people share information with their friends about things they do on the web’.”

The Guardian article goes on to reveal Facebook’s surprisingly open connections to the CIA.

Aside from Thiel, major investors in Facebook include Silicon Valley’s Accel Partners (also major investors in eBay) and Greylock Venture Capital, both of whom, together with NVCA (National Venture Capital Association), share boardroom execs with an altogether more notorious outfit called In-Q-Tel.

And guess what? In-Q-Tel is the official venture capital wing of the CIA—check out the In-Q-Tel website.

Full article here: Google Bankrolled By The CIA

When you've read it make sure you come back and air your views. Love to know what anyone thinks about this one...

[chela]

Why doesn't this surprise me? I did read somewhere that the CIA was behind Google and I suppose when you think about it it would be stranger if they weren't involved. It's the perfect tool for tracking what everyone does and what searches we make, just like paypal is the pefect tool for monitoring our financial transactions and ebay is perfect for keeping tabs on what we buy and how much for etc.

As you say Jon Big Brother is already here and its scary as hell but nothing more than we should expect. We all have to use these internet services because we have no choice so the CIA are bound to want to control it all. Still scary though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[Jon King]

Why doesn't this surprise me? I did read somewhere that the CIA was behind Google and I suppose when you think about it it would be stranger if they weren't involved. It's the perfect tool for tracking what everyone does and what searches we make, just like paypal is the pefect tool for monitoring our financial transactions and ebay is perfect for keeping tabs on what we buy and how much for etc.

As you say Jon Big Brother is already here and its scary as hell but nothing more than we should expect. We all have to use these internet services because we have no choice so the CIA are bound to want to control it all. Still scary though

Scary it is, Chela. I guess we should have known as soon as Google released their Google Earth service that something was afoot. 'From Space To Your Face' was the slogan they used. We should have realized that the kind of technology necessary to achieve that isn't generally available in the public domain. Keyhole Inc, the company who developed the technology, was directly funded by the CIA's In-Q-Tel venture capital firm.

I guess two plus two generally does make four... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Winston]

Scary it is, Chela. I guess we should have known as soon as Google released their Google Earth service that something was afoot. 'From Space To Your Face' was the slogan they used. We should have realized that the kind of technology necessary to achieve that isn't generally available in the public domain. Keyhole Inc, the company who developed the technology, was directly funded by the CIA's In-Q-Tel venture capital firm.

I guess two plus two generally does make four... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Except when the CIA are involved, then two plus two can make anything they damn well want it to make.

This article shocked me a little, I must confess, not because I didn't believe it possible, but I was I suppose taken a little off guard. You know certain things, the possibilities and probabilities of things, but when you are confronted with the actuality and the evidence to back it up it sometimes comes as a shock, as this did.

the kind of technology necessary to achieve that isn't generally available in the public domain

You're absolutely right, Jon. Really should've seen that one coming. I'm actually I'm a little annoyed at myself for not putting 'two and two' together myself. Damn my stupid head (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

I'm off to think more deeply about the implications of this.

[Mark]

I had a Google command come up on my computer yesterday, prompting me to click on the box to have google as a default. The only thing was, i had no choice, it was yes or nothing. I couldn't get out of it apart from crashing. They seem to be very forceful in their quest for world domination.
Mark

[Winston]

They seem to be very forceful in their quest for world domination.

Especially when you add Facebook, YouTube, Paypal and the rest of the internet giants into the equation. Think about it. We hardly make an online transaction without PayPal being involved. Facebook knows everything about everyone. Google knows every internet search you ever make and YouTube... well YouTube has been bought by Google so something is no doubt going on there as well.

I think I need a drink...!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[cliffy]

Especially when you add Facebook, YouTube, Paypal and the rest of the internet giants into the equation. Think about it. We hardly make an online transaction without PayPal being involved. Facebook knows everything about everyone. Google knows every internet search you ever make and YouTube... well YouTube has been bought by Google so something is no doubt going on there as well.

I think I need a drink...!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

But, of course, we do all have a choice. We don't have to use the web, and we could just accept that anything we do here could be observed by anyone who has the determination to be that interested in us. Much the same as when I pop out and my neighbour notices. Sometimes its nosey, sometimes its comforting; sometimes its useful: but most of the time, it doesn't matter.

[Winston]

But, of course, we do all have a choice. We don't have to use the web, and we could just accept that anything we do here could be observed by anyone who has the determination to be that interested in us. Much the same as when I pop out and my neighbour notices. Sometimes its nosey, sometimes its comforting; sometimes its useful: but most of the time, it doesn't matter.

I think you're missing my point, Cliffy old boy. The point raised in the aricle I was referring to was that internet giants like Google, Facebook, PayPal and others are CIA fronts set up to monitor (and to some extent control) social trends and cache as much information about you and me as they can. Slightly different scenario to your neighbour noticing when you pop out, I'd say. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[xycom]

Slightly different scenario to your neighbour noticing when you pop out, I'd say.

he does have a point though, we can all get a bit overly paranoid about the whole thing don't you think winston? i really don't care who's watching me or what i do. even if the cia are watching us, the aliens are watching them. it's all relative really. just depends which way your looking at it.

[Zardoz]

I had a Google command come up on my computer yesterday, prompting me to click on the box to have google as a default. The only thing was, i had no choice, it was yes or nothing. I couldn't get out of it apart from crashing. They seem to be very forceful in their quest for world domination.
Mark

I too don't like Google's rather forceful method of making people accept their updates. When I upgraded to Google Earth 5 you either had to accept all updates to any installed Google program, not just Google Earth, or cancel. I don't approve of programs that force updates on you - it's MY computer and I say what goes on it. Fortunately, it's a trivial job to neuter the update program so that it never works.

Too many people have no real idea what little programs are running in the background thanks to the diabolical insanity known as Windows (itself another story).

We're doomed, I tell you... doomed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

=:~)

[Jon King]

Too many people have no real idea what little programs are running in the background thanks to the diabolical insanity known as Windows (itself another story).

One I think I might just look into when I get a chance. Cheers for that Zardoz! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Zardoz]

One I think I might just look into when I get a chance. Cheers for that Zardoz! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

To give you an idea of the utter insanity of Vista, check out this link.

It's madness!!

=:~)