From: RT

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin is warning that social networks have become a tool for manipulating public opinion and that the threat of cyber war is already real.

Speaking at a lecture in Moscow, the man in charge of the defense  industry said social networks allowed specialists to probe users  without their consent or even knowledge the fact.

“A powerful manipulation of public opinion is being carried  through – all sorts of “likes” and other buttons that you press  there they instantly include you in certain groups that are later  analyzed and systemized,” Rogozin said.

According the Deputy PM this allows for work with people who  share opposition views by putting them into special sectors that  cannot be seen by other users of open social networks.

“Through this they increase the number of people who receive  special content that is undermining the authority of the state  and the values of the established state. We know that this is  being actively used,” he elaborated.

Rogozin added that the United States’ Department of State had  created a special unit for work in social networks and that he  had met the head of this unit who works so that the United States  could  reach their objectives in a non-military  way.

The Russian official said that for NATO cyber warfare is already  a military threat and a military response, and Russia is also  watching these processes.