The CIA has finally joined the rest of the world on Instagram. The spy agency made its debut with a cryptic desk photo captioned with the words “I spy with my little eye.” The post is designed to challenge the more than 125,000 followers of the account to find items on the desk that are actually relevant to the agency. The desk looks a little cluttered too. It includes a number of things such as maps, a bag labeled “TOP SECRET PULP”, and some bamboo too. The table also features some items that seem familiar including the CIA badge. The badge looks like it belongs to the current director Gina Haspel.
A clock can also be seen set at 8.46 A.M. The time has some significance to it. It is the actual time when the North Tower was hit during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. There are so many other things on the table too that don’t look necessary. For instance, there is a jacket on the chair, a notebook, and a medium-sized portrait of a man with glasses on the table. A set of headphones can also be seen hanging on a rim of paper. Something that looks like a wig is also sitting on the chair.
The CIA had surely taken its time before joining Instagram but the launch is not a surprise. Just last week, CIA Director, Gina Haspel, announced that the spy agency was actually planning on start building a presence on the photo-sharing app. The CIA already has a lot of followers on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. A lot of people were curious to know whether the agency would be moving towards Instagram and it seems their question has been finally answered.
At the time of writing this article, the agency’s Instagram account had already attracted a total of 125,000 followers. The number is likely to rise rapidly as the buzz about the new account continues to spread on social and mainstream media. A CIA spokesman noted that joining Instagram provides “another way” for the agency to share its stories as well as “recruit talented Americans to serve.” The CIA wants to use the account to give people a peek into normal agency life. But in case you are hoping for selfies of some top secret facilities, get ready for some disappointment. The spy agency notes that it intends to share general information and stories. Anything that is deemed too sensitive cannot be shared on social media.
Instagram also confirmed that it helped the agency launch the account. A spokesman from the photo-sharing app noted that members of its team actually worked hand in hand with the agency in setting up everything. The bio on the account features the CIA’s mission statement that reads “We are the nation’s first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go.” The launch has definitely created a buzz on social media and this is likely to continue over the coming few days.
