WASHINGTON – US defense and spy agencies have played an important role in the creation of the Internet, and now the CIA is turning to online streaming services for the first time to collect spies between the ages of 18 and 35.
“It’s just a new piece of foreign intelligence… and everything can change at once,” a CIA official says to a class full of novices appearing at the opening of a new ad released by the agency on Monday.
“Start a career at the CIA and do more for your country than you ever imagined,” said the official, reminiscent of Hollywood films.
Nicole de Haay, spokesperson for the Central Intelligence Agency, said that the online recruitment campaign was designed during the new coronavirus pandemic without the need for social distance measures. The agency said it is typically seeking future spies by targeting college students with “traditional” methods such as job fairs.
The agency said it cut 90, 60 and 15 second versions for entertainment, news and lifestyle streaming services across the country.
According to the Leichtman Research Group, over 70% of US households subscribe to at least one of Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime.
“We cannot rely solely on traditional hiring methods to achieve the best talent,” said Haay.
In a speech at Auburn University last year, CIA director Gina Haspel said it was the best recruitment year in ten years and she wanted to make the agency “a preferred employer for all Americans”.
De Haay said that although the target audience for published video spots is 18-35, all potential hires will be taken into account.
Some of the CIA’s most famous foreign allies, including British spy agencies MI5 and MI6, recently hired officers through social connections, although they recently turned to online recruitment areas.
