Operation Earnest Voice (OEV) is a communications program by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
[1] Initially, the program was developed as a psychological weapon to support coalition forces during the Iraq War.
The aim of the initiative is to use sockpuppets to spread pro-American propaganda on social networking services based outside of the United States.
[2] Main characteristics of the software, as stated in the software development request, are: CENTCOM commander David Petraeus, in his congressional testimony, stated that Operation Earnest Voice would "reach [a country's] regional audiences through traditional media, as well as via Web sites and regional public-affairs blogging," as an effort to "counter extremist ideology and propaganda".
[2] However, his successor, Jim Mattis, altered the program to have "regional blogging" fall under general CENTCOM public-affairs activity.