Intelligence agents infiltrated online RPGs such as World Of Warcraft as part of surveillance programmes (Picture: Supplied)

The US National Security Agency and Britain’s GQHC infiltrated online games such as World Of Warcraft to monitor potential terrorist activity, the latest leaks from Edward Snowden have revealed.

Starting in 2008 the intelligence agencies began deploying real-life agents into MMORPGs and human avatars into online communities like Second Life.

A briefing document published by the Guardian, the New York Times and ProPublica titled ‘Exploiting Terrorist Use of Games & Virtual Environments’ describes such environments as ‘target-rich communications networks’ where intelligence targets could ‘hide in plain sight’.

NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden has been granted asylum in Russia (Picture: Getty)

The document goes on to claim that terror suspects were thought to use the online communities to talk to each other and transfer funds.




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.’

GCHQ, neither confirming nor denying the story, insisted that all its work was carried out ‘in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework’.