The recent incident where hundreds of sensitive US military documents appeared on Discord has raised a lot of questions about the US security state’s preparedness for the digital age. A 21-year-old Air National Guard member named Jack Teixeira has been arrested for posting these sensitive intelligence files on forums dedicated to gaming. The leak has shown that the Department of Defense (DOD) and intelligence agencies are not prepared for the current digital age.
The US national security institutions have put a major emphasis on integrating advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence, into their arsenals. They’ve also invested heavily in recruiting young and mid-career tech talent from unlikely spaces. However, none of these institutions has grappled with the shape of internet culture and how that affects the people among the military’s ranks.
Discord: A breeding ground for edgelords and extremism
Teixeira reportedly posted the leak of pentagon documents in forums dedicated to gaming, where a group of 24 people, mostly male and young, also shared offensive memes, information about guns, and more. Discord is a decentralized social media platform that is known for its track record as a space for risky actors and its extreme-right presence. This incident is not surprising, given Discord’s reputation.
The culture of edgelords posting memes and gaming forums escalating into a national security threat may seem new to intelligence leaders, but in 2023 the prospect of an online dude wreaking havoc should probably already be on their radar.
The failure to understand internet culture
Our recent deep dive into the Discord channel where Teixeira posted classified documents reveals the sense of family that it represented. It was “a group of far-flung acquaintances searching for companionship amid the isolation of the pandemic.” However, xenophobic memes, racist jokes, and firearm-loving banter appear to have been central to this community.
The US national security establishment has been so focused on vilifying TikTok that it has failed to understand internet culture. The Pentagon is deploying the methods of internet culture as a recruiting tool and innovation as a necessity, but it has apparently not fully grasped the central, simple truth of how the internet has decentralized culture, enabling people to share anonymously and gleefully.
The rise of edgelords
Teixeira apparently does not represent the violent, insurgent, or terrorist inclinations of those who planned the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot in digital forums or the Norwegian attacker Anders Breivik, who was found guilty of conducting mass murder in 2012. Yet his methods of oversharing and showing off are of a piece with the ecosystem of the internet. The edgelord culture privileges those who post stuff that provokes. Wasn’t it only a matter of time before that shocking content would be state secrets?
Researchers have noted that law enforcement hasn’t yet grasped the challenges of extremism in gaming forums, like the Minecraft channel where classified documents began appearing. It’s important to acknowledge the prevalence of grotesque hate speech there, and to contextualize them as spaces that serve a number of purposes and are not exclusive to extremists. “They are also places of belonging and should be treated as such; it is crucial to acknowledge gaming not only as not inherently linked to negative outcomes but as a force for good in people’s lives,” the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism wrote in a recent report.
Understanding Teixeira’s motives
Much still needs to be confirmed about Teixeira’s alleged actions and motivations. But it’s not hard to imagine that these twin ego-driven motivations — a “little bit of showing off to friends,” but also building a connection and “wanting to keep us informed,” as one of his Discord friends told the Washington Post — could push someone to breach US classification.
According to reports, Teixeira was seen as “the undisputed leader” on the Discord channel where he posted the classified documents. It’s not clear what motivated Teixeira to post the documents, but his actions seem to have been driven by a combination of ego and a desire to connect with others online.
The US security state’s failure to understand internet culture
The recent leak of highly sensitive military documents on Discord is a wake-up call for the US security state. The incident has shown that the US national security establishment has been so focused on integrating advanced technologies and recruiting young and mid-career tech talent that it has failed to understand internet culture and its threats.
The Pentagon needs to start taking internet culture seriously and begin developing strategies to address the challenges posed by edgelords, extremists, and other risky actors who are using online platforms like Discord to wreak havoc. If they don’t, the nation’s security will be at risk.
Now even Microsoft is claiming gaming is at risk of Russian intelligence infiltration.
Conclusion
The recent incident where hundreds of sensitive US military documents appeared on Discord has thrown the US security state into a panic. The leak has revealed the challenges posed by internet culture and the threats that it poses to national security. The US national security establishment needs to start taking internet culture seriously and begin developing strategies to address the challenges posed by edgelords, extremists, and other risky actors who are using online platforms like Discord to wreak havoc. If they don’t, the security of the nation will be at risk.
