Technology Quarterly | Dead drop drops dead
Ubiquitous technical surveillance has made spying more difficult
But human intelligence is still vital
![Illustration with a map and ID cards on a dark background with footprints.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240706_TQD002.jpg)
Jon (not his real name, for reasons that will become apparent) distinctly remembers the shock. He had served in a Western intelligence agency as a case officer, one of the men and women tasked with coaxing foreigners to give up secrets by becoming agents. He was browsing LinkedIn, a social-media site used for networking and job-hunting. The website’s algorithm suggests connections: old school friends, former colleagues and the like. On this occasion it threw up an unwelcome name: one of Jon’s former agents.
This article appeared in the Technology Quarterly section of the print edition under the headline “Dead drop drops dead”