Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media
www.guardian.co.uk – March 17, 2011

“The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda….

“…create a false consensus in online conversations, crowd out unwelcome opinions and smother commentaries or reports that do not correspond with its own objectives….”

Supposedly they are only using it against non-English speaking foreign targets.

‘Sock puppet’ software.