False Flag or Dumb Mistake?

An Overview

A "false flag" is a complex and highly dangerous operation. The term false flag is one that has been around for centuries, being technically defined as "an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on a second party" (Dictionary.com). The phrase is said to be popular amongst conspiracy theorists when referring to covert operations (created to permit plausible denial by the sponsor). The use of the phrase is traced back to pirates, as they would wave the targets flag until they got close enough to attack. When reached, the pirates would wave their own flag, usually designed for skull and crossbones, it would be too late for the target ship to escape. 

False Flags Within History

While fake news is more prominent than ever, whether in be within politics or COVID-19, our history shows that this concept isn't new for our world. One of the most famous example of a false flag operation was called, "Operation Himmler", occurring in 1939, which was used in favor of Nazi Germany. The plan began by German advertising mediums such as newspaper to begin spreading propaganda accusing Polish authorities or organizing the removal of ethic Germans living in Poland. This served as the false flag by causing major tension to occur within Poland, therefore, allowing for justification when Germany invaded Poland. 

"Operation Himmler"

False Flags within Society

With social media and other technologies, the spread of misinformation is received and believed faster than ever before and will only continue to become a larger party of our society. The concept of false flag has slowly traveled from conspires and military operations to news headlines. An example of this occurred in the 2018 Presidential election as explosive devices were sent to those of high importance within the election. It was said that "Many of those on the far right and even some with close ties to the White House had a theory on the case: The bombing attempts on prominent liberals were ginned up by the left to help them win the midterms" (Coaston, Vox). If the conspiracy is true, the act was a false flag to drive the public perception in a certain direction. 

Political False Flag

Another example of false flags within the modern era is used within cyberattacks. A false flag cyberattack occurs when "a hacker or hacking group stages an attack in a way that attempts to fool their victims and the world about who's responsible" (Fruhlinger, CSO). An example of this occurred in 2014 when Sony Pictures was hacked by a group titling themselves as, "Guardians of Peace", exposing defamation. Within days, Sony Pictures had completely flipped the media headlines by having pointed the blame at North Korea, which they explained was due to their mockery of their leader within a recent film. To this day, North Korea never admitted blame for the hack but is universally acknowledged, allowing for Sony Pictures to remain in the clear and out of the headlines.