(Geopolitics)

On June 6, 2014, the Central Intelligence Agency made its debut on X (Twitter): "We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet." As its inaugural tweet went viral, Director John Brennan issued a press release affirming the CIA's social media presence for public engagement. A shift was underway.

Traditionally, intelligence agencies operated in the shadows and shunned the limelight. However, in the free world where information is unstoppably democratized, keeping some communication channels open can counter disinformation campaigns. It's important to recognize that Americans are highly articulate. As taxpayers, they are stakeholders in the agency's activities and deserve a voice.

There are, of course, inherent risks and challenges whenever intelligence agencies openly wade into national and international controversies. On balance, though, the insights of well-informed citizens should be welcomed as a plus. After all, this is a digital age of open-source information and research.

 "Cloaks, Daggers, and Tweets." That is today's CIA.

Author: renqiulan