The first part of the leak, dubbed by WikiLeaks as "the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency," comprises over 8,700 documents and files, and reveals the scale and scope of the CIA's global hacking and tracking program.
RELEASE: Vault 7 Part 1 "Year Zero": Inside the CIA's global hacking force https://t.co/h5wzfrReyy pic.twitter.com/N2lxyHH9jp
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) 7 марта 2017 г.
Perhaps more than anything, social media users were freaked out by the agency's seemingly Orwellian technical capabilities. Edward Snowden, former National Security Agency contractor turned whistleblower, explained just how big a deal it was that the CIA was using consumer electronics to target people.
That Samsung smart TV? The CIA can turn the mic on and listen to everything you say #vault7 #1984rebooted pic.twitter.com/CAm1E2TgxV
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) 7 марта 2017 г.
Imagine a world where the actual CIA spends its time figuring out how to spy on you through your TV. That's today. https://t.co/dQHBrsyIoI
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) 7 марта 2017 г.
The CIA reports show the USG developing vulnerabilities in US products, then intentionally keeping the holes open. Reckless beyond words.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) 7 марта 2017 г.
Apparently the US Government thinks Orwell's "1984" was an instruction manual. #Vault7 https://t.co/1Z27gkCqrD
— Dallin Crump (@DallinCrump) 7 марта 2017 г.
Turning to Vault 7's political implications, Twitter users pointed out that the revelations made in the leaks about the CIA's capabilities in Russia make the Obama administration's evidence-free 'Russian election hack' claims seem even more hypocritical.
Obama accused Russia of cyberattacks while his CIA turned all internet enabled consumer electronics in Russia into listening devices. Wow!
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) 7 марта 2017 г.
CIA has 5 test covert 'listening post' servers called 'PocketPutin' https://t.co/Qre3P18fIv pic.twitter.com/rAWjysK5Vy
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) 8 марта 2017 г.
Others still pointed to a very important detail about the CIA's capabilities and efforts to misdirect attribution via phony digital fingerprints, accusing others (hint: Russia) of doing what they themselves may have done. Popular comments on this point were chock-full of sarcasm and memes.
RU Aware @CIA Can Leave Fingerprints of #Russia Hack pic.twitter.com/JAIrcWxvvR #wikileaks @RT_com @realDonaldTrump #CNN #WAPO @FoxNews @GOP
— Joe Turner (@JoeTurner212) 8 марта 2017 г.
Turns Out The Russian Hackers Was The CIA All Along..#Vault7 #TRUMP #TrumpCare #WIKILEAKS #TowerGate #WireTap pic.twitter.com/NdVfRfeMim
— John Dee✘-Deplorable (@GaltsGultch) 7 марта 2017 г.
The CIA was behind the Russian-Trump Fake News Story??? #WikiLeaks #Vault7 #MAGA #TRUMP #POTUS #resist pic.twitter.com/aEl9OKU8ME
— Jim Robinson III ⚖️ (@JimRobinsonSEA) 7 марта 2017 г.
#WikiLeaks #Vault7
— Angie (@tiiiiinyy) 7 марта 2017 г.
Ruins the Russian election hack narrative. We know now the CIA had the power to do so & change the digital fingerprint.
Other users also noted that it was impressive, and scary, just how far the CIA had moved ahead of their Cold War-era opponents, the East German Stasi and the Soviet KGB. Those agencies were known for being fearsome and effective, but their technical capabilities were extremely primitive, and the butt of numerous jokes. The CIA, users said, is shaping up to look more and more like these agencies all the time, but with technology that's far more advanced.
The Stasi and KGB would be so envious of the CIA right now if either still existed. #Wikileaks #Vault7 pic.twitter.com/J8izkLbHvl
— Beauchard (@DougFlagel) 7 марта 2017 г.
Remember as kids all the horrifying stories we heard about the #KGB ? Now we learn #CIA not much different.
— Sogol Ayrom (@SogolAyrom) 7 марта 2017 г.
Thank you #WIKILEAKS #Vault7 pic.twitter.com/Dy3p2P6DZC
If the #WIKILEAKS story is true, which they've never been proven wrong, the CIA under Obama has been far more intrusive than the KGB..ever
— Curley 4 Kratos (@Curley4Kratos) 8 марта 2017 г.
Bizarrely, in spite of these revelations, some Twitter users still rushed to defend the dominant Democratic Party and US mainstream media narrative, claiming that the WikiLeaks CIA leak was "another distraction from Trump's ties with Russia" and that the revelations were all a ruse by "KGB Putin," who "wants to destroy our CIA."
If you don't see that the "Wikileaks CIA release" is another distraction from Trump's ties with Russia, you haven't been paying attention.
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) 7 марта 2017 г.
Wikileaks is run by KGB Putin.
— drhug (@drhug) 7 марта 2017 г.
Putin wants to destroy our CIA.
Putin uses Wikileaks to elect trump
then #Vault7.
Republicans love it all.
Others still accused President Trump, who has yet to comment on the leaks, of being a "russian asset" (sic) for staying silent.
you know you're president is a russian asset when wikileaks dumps a bunch of intel docs stolen from CIA and he doesn't say a word.
— Hausfrau Cosmetics (@urinegate) 8 марта 2017 г.
What do Trump's opponents expect him to say? That the WikiLeaks CIA leak again confirms the ridiculousness of the hysterical 'Siberian candidate' campaign against him? Or that the surveillance behemoth built up under his predecessor has become more powerful than anyone could have possibly imagined?
Trump: The CIA wiretapped me!
— jessicalong (@kukalong) 7 марта 2017 г.
MSM: Trump is lying! @wikileaks: Actually they wiretap everyone, phones, computers, tvs to cars
MSM: ........
As WikiLeaks continues its work, and to reveal more and more classified information, it will be sure to result in more reaction, and debate, about the inner workings of powerful and secretive government institutions, shattering many myths and illusions people may have about their governments and politicians.
