By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 10:26 EST, 9 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:20 EST, 9 December 2013 . The latest revelations from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have taken a bizarre turn with the claim that American and British spies have been posing and playing as orcs and elves on the popular multiplayer online game World of Warcraft - potentially spying on up to 50 million people. Spy chiefs at the NSA began to fear in 2008 that online games such as Second Life and Warcraft could become forums for covert communications between terrorists - enabling them to move money and to plot atrocities, all the while hiding among the millions of virtual gamers all with online alter-egos. Newly released documents from the hundreds of thousands stolen by Snowden from the NSA reveal that real secret agents have been operating in virtual gaming worlds tracking millions of players - even going as far as attempting to recruit online informants while playing. Real life James Bond's operating in a virtual world online: American and British spies have been revealed to be posing online on games such as World of Warcraft (pictured) and Second Life . The NSA document, written in 2008 and titled Exploiting Terrorist Use of Games & Virtual Environments expresses the NSA's worry that despite their wide-reaching PRISM clandestine surveillance of hundreds of millions of people online, terrorists could evade their wide reaching snooping. New revelations: NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden speaking in October - the former defense contractor has revealed that American intelligence operatives operated online in World of Warcraft and Second Life to try and catch terrorists . The Guardian has reported that QCHQ, the British counterpart of the NSA even sent operatives into Second Life in 2008 and infiltrated a criminal ring that was selling stolen credit card information in that virtual world. The Snowden files reveal that the real-life sting in a virtual world was named Operation Galician and was helped by a recruited online informer who 'helpfully volunteered on the target group's latest activities.' Citing the documents disclosed by Edward Snowden, the report also says agencies 'have built mass-collection capabilities' against Microsoft's Xbox Live online network. Important details — such as how much data was gathered, or how many players' information was compromised — were not clear, the reports said. Blizzard Entertainment, the producer of World Of Warcraft, told the Guardian: ‘We are unaware of any surveillance taking place. If it was, it would have been done without our knowledge or permission.’ Online games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life are huge business as players adopt avatars of different people or indeed, orcs, goblins and elves. NSA HQ: Reports say British and American intelligence officers have been spying on gamers across the world, deploying undercover officers to virtual universes and sucking up traffic from popular online games such as World of Warcraft . The 2008 NSA report claims that if the intelligence garnered from the spying on these online games was used correctly, then pictures of ordinary citizen's and potential terrorist social networks could be built up. The NSA document reportedly claims to suggest that such infiltration 'continues to uncover potential Sigint value by identifying accounts, characters and guilds related to Islamic extremist groups, nuclear proliferation and arms dealing.' Second Life especially intruiged the NSA and GCHQ, because of its plans to introduce voice calls and anonymous texts - that terrorists could utilize. However, the document revealed by Snowden details no clear indication that the widespread surveillance ever discovered any terrorists or even foiled any attacks - raising serious issues over the privacy of online gaming. Microsoft declined to comment on the latest revelations, as did Philip Rosedale, the founder of Second Life. Monitoring: The NSA and Britain's GCHQ have neither confirmed nor denied that they have been spying on the personal details of up to 50 million virtual gamers . The NSA declined to comment on the surveillance of games. A spokesman for GCHQ told The Guardian the agency did not 'confirm or deny' the revelations but added: 'All GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that its activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the interception and intelligence services commissioners and the intelligence and security committee.' Indeed, so rife was the spying online of Second Life by the FBI, CIA, and the Defense Humint Service that a memo was sent to try and 'deconflict' their work - i.e. make sure that they weren't treading on each other's toes. However, the British credit card fraud bust aside, there are no other examples of the surveillance of these popular virtual worlds yielding any results in terms of anti-terrorism. The agencies did have concerns beyond simple money laundering and planning though. The NSA thought that games played online could be used to 'reinforce prejudices and cultural stereotypes' - pointing out that Hezbollah had produced their own game called Special Forces 2. According to the document, Hezbollah's 'press section acknowledges the game is used for recruitment and training', serving as a 'radicalizing medium' with the ultimate goal of becoming a 'suicide martyr'. Despite the game's disturbing connotations, the 'fun factor' of the game cannot be discounted, it states. As Special Forces 2 retails for $10, it concludes, the game also serves to 'fund terrorist operations.'
Latest revelations from Edward Snowden reveal the NSA has been using agents to pose as players on World of Warcraft .
Up to 50 million people worldwide play the popular virtual game .
NSA and Britain's GCHQ became concerned the game and those like it could be used as clandestine forums for terrorists to plan attacks .
Online operatives even tried to recruit gamers as informants .
More evidence of mass surveillance on civilian population by intelligence service .
By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 10:26 EST, 9 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:20 EST, 9 December 2013 . The latest revelations from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have taken a bizarre turn with the claim that American and British spies have been posing and playing as orcs and elves on the popular multiplayer online game World of Warcraft - potentially spying on up to 50 million people. Spy chiefs at the NSA began to fear in 2008 that online games such as Second Life and Warcraft could become forums for covert communications between terrorists - enabling them to move money and to plot atrocities, all the while hiding among the millions of virtual gamers all with online alter-egos. Newly released documents from the hundreds of thousands stolen by Snowden from the NSA reveal that real secret agents have been operating in virtual gaming worlds tracking millions of players - even going as far as attempting to recruit online informants while playing. Real life James Bond's operating in a virtual world online: American and British spies have been revealed to be posing online on games such as World of Warcraft (pictured) and Second Life . The NSA document, written in 2008 and titled Exploiting Terrorist Use of Games & Virtual Environments expresses the NSA's worry that despite their wide-reaching PRISM clandestine surveillance of hundreds of millions of people online, terrorists could evade their wide reaching snooping. New revelations: NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden speaking in October - the former defense contractor has revealed that American intelligence operatives operated online in World of Warcraft and Second Life to try and catch terrorists . The Guardian has reported that QCHQ, the British counterpart of the NSA even sent operatives into Second Life in 2008 and infiltrated a criminal ring that was selling stolen credit card information in that virtual world. The Snowden files reveal that the real-life sting in a virtual world was named Operation Galician and was helped by a recruited online informer who 'helpfully volunteered on the target group's latest activities.' Citing the documents disclosed by Edward Snowden, the report also says agencies 'have built mass-collection capabilities' against Microsoft's Xbox Live online network. Important details — such as how much data was gathered, or how many players' information was compromised — were not clear, the reports said. Blizzard Entertainment, the producer of World Of Warcraft, told the Guardian: ‘We are unaware of any surveillance taking place. If it was, it would have been done without our knowledge or permission.’ Online games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life are huge business as players adopt avatars of different people or indeed, orcs, goblins and elves. NSA HQ: Reports say British and American intelligence officers have been spying on gamers across the world, deploying undercover officers to virtual universes and sucking up traffic from popular online games such as World of Warcraft . The 2008 NSA report claims that if the intelligence garnered from the spying on these online games was used correctly, then pictures of ordinary citizen's and potential terrorist social networks could be built up. The NSA document reportedly claims to suggest that such infiltration 'continues to uncover potential Sigint value by identifying accounts, characters and guilds related to Islamic extremist groups, nuclear proliferation and arms dealing.' Second Life especially intruiged the NSA and GCHQ, because of its plans to introduce voice calls and anonymous texts - that terrorists could utilize. However, the document revealed by Snowden details no clear indication that the widespread surveillance ever discovered any terrorists or even foiled any attacks - raising serious issues over the privacy of online gaming. Microsoft declined to comment on the latest revelations, as did Philip Rosedale, the founder of Second Life. Monitoring: The NSA and Britain's GCHQ have neither confirmed nor denied that they have been spying on the personal details of up to 50 million virtual gamers . The NSA declined to comment on the surveillance of games. A spokesman for GCHQ told The Guardian the agency did not 'confirm or deny' the revelations but added: 'All GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that its activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the interception and intelligence services commissioners and the intelligence and security committee.' Indeed, so rife was the spying online of Second Life by the FBI, CIA, and the Defense Humint Service that a memo was sent to try and 'deconflict' their work - i.e. make sure that they weren't treading on each other's toes. However, the British credit card fraud bust aside, there are no other examples of the surveillance of these popular virtual worlds yielding any results in terms of anti-terrorism. The agencies did have concerns beyond simple money laundering and planning though. The NSA thought that games played online could be used to 'reinforce prejudices and cultural stereotypes' - pointing out that Hezbollah had produced their own game called Special Forces 2. According to the document, Hezbollah's 'press section acknowledges the game is used for recruitment and training', serving as a 'radicalizing medium' with the ultimate goal of becoming a 'suicide martyr'. Despite the game's disturbing connotations, the 'fun factor' of the game cannot be discounted, it states. As Special Forces 2 retails for $10, it concludes, the game also serves to 'fund terrorist operations.'
December 2013 . The latest revelations from NSA World of Warcraft - potentially spying on up to 50 million people. Spy chiefs at the NSA began to Life and Warcraft could become forums for covert as far as attempting to recruit online informants American intelligence operatives operated online documents disclosed by Edward Snowden, the report officers have been spying on gamers across the The NSA and Britain's GCHQ have neither confirmed surveillance of these popular virtual worlds thought that games played online could be used to retails for $10, it concludes, the game also