The CIA has been known to use some pretty creative tactics over the years to get the information they need and win the war on propaganda. But, perhaps one of their most successful and surprising campaigns has been their use of the internet meme known as "rickrolling".
For those of you living under a rock, "rickrolling" refers to the practice of tricking someone into clicking a link that leads them to Rick Astley's 1987 hit, "Never Gonna Give You Up". The meme was popularized in the early days of the internet and has since become a cultural phenomenon.
But, what does rickrolling have to do with the CIA? Well, according to a recent FOIA request, the agency has been using the meme as a tool for psychological warfare.
It turns out that rickrolling is an incredibly effective way to sabotage enemy broadcasts and fool foreign leaders. By sending out links to the song disguised as important documents or news articles, the CIA has been able to disrupt communication channels and sow confusion within enemy ranks.
One former CIA operative who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Wibble, "Rickrolling was a game-changer for us. We could send out a link to the song and suddenly all enemy radio broadcasts would be replaced with Rick Astley. It was hilarious."
But, the agency didn't stop there. They also used rickrolling as a way to gather important intel. By monitoring the IP addresses of those who fell for the meme, the CIA was able to identify potential targets for further surveillance.
"It was genius, really," said the anonymous operative. "We could send out a fake link to a video of some important event and anyone who clicked on it would be giving us access to their device. We were able to gather so much valuable information this way."
Of course, the CIA isn't the only organization to use rickrolling as a means of psychological warfare. In 2015, the United States Navy even used the meme to troll the Russian Navy via Twitter.
So, while it may seem silly on the surface, rickrolling has proven to be an incredibly effective tool for the intelligence community. And who knows, maybe one day we'll see memes being used on the battlefield.
As for Rick Astley himself, he seems to be taking it all in stride. When asked for comment on the CIA's use of his song, he simply replied, "I'm just glad people are still listening to it."
