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Technology & Surveillance Theories

5 theories in Technology & Surveillance - unsubstantiated

Technology & SurveillanceUnsubstantiated
Bitcoin Was Created by the NSA
The claim that Bitcoin was secretly built by the NSA (or another intelligence agency) as a surveillance tool, honeypot, or stepping stone to a controllable cashless currency. Proponents point to two real facts: the NSA designed the SHA-256 hash function Bitcoin uses, and NSA cryptographers co-authored a 1996 paper on anonymous electronic cash. But no evidence connects the agency to Bitcoin's creation, the technology it uses is public and standardized, and the code and history point to an independent cypherpunk lineage.
15 sources87% confidencefully sourced
Technology & SurveillanceUnsubstantiated
New Jersey Drone Sightings 2024
In November–December 2024, a wave of unidentified drone sightings over New Jersey and surrounding states generated significant media and political attention. NJ Governor Phil Murphy, FBI, FAA, and DHS acknowledged the sightings but offered no definitive explanation. Multiple theories circulated: foreign-adversary surveillance, US military testing, hobbyist drones, misidentified aircraft. The FBI and DHS investigation concluded that many sightings were explained by misidentified commercial aircraft, hobbyist drones, and stars/planets. The "foreign adversary surveillance" and "advanced military testing" framings remain unsubstantiated.
21 sources65% confidencefully sourced