Warning: This article contains brief discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Most Americans are familiar with the FBI and CIA, but how much do we really understand about the inner workings of these organizations?
Unless you’re an agent assigned to monitor discussions about the FBI or CIA, the answer is probably ‘not much’.
The secrecy is intentional, as agents are responsible for solving crimes, which would be more challenging if all their information was public.
However, some secrets are coming to light thanks to a Reddit post where a user asked: “FBI/CIA agents of Reddit, what’s something that you can tell us without killing us?”
Although responders, including some who know agency staff, have remained anonymous, many Reddit users seem convinced of their credibility.
So, what insights did they provide?
One account came from a colleague of a former National Security Agency employee, who often asked for secret details.
The employee remained tight-lipped until revealing a disturbing aspect of their training.
The Redditor recounted: “One thing she did say, though, was that during training they show them a video of a bunch of things they’ve found out about and stopped. She said she hardly slept for two weeks after watching that.”
Reflecting on the potential prevented catastrophes, another user commented: “That makes me wonder… how many horrible, world-changing events have been prevented and us ordinary people just aren’t allowed to know?”
While some might believe intriguing information is locked away, one agency analyst clarified that ‘classified’ often refers to the method of obtaining the document, rather than its contents.
They stated: “85% of all classified material is classified because of how it was collected, not because it is juicy / useful.”
A former Navy authority echoed this, noting their disappointment upon receiving Top Secret Clearance, expecting access to fascinating information.
They elaborated: “I was largely disappointed. The a metric ton of classified material has almost no business being classified… There’s also a ton of stuff that is just plain uninteresting and seemingly unimportant.”
So, when you hear about a ‘classified document’, it might not hold groundbreaking revelations.
One user shared a story about a mentor who worked for the FBI.
They recounted: “Apparently, all he did was search for pedophiles by tracking child pornography. He said he didn’t stay for very long because it was messing with his mentality.”
Impressed by the job’s impact, another user commented: “That’s an honorable job. People like him make a difference in this world.”
This insight came not from an agent, but from someone whose great uncle was an FBI agent.
They described: “Every time we would ask him if he had any interesting stories but he would say he was sworn to secrecy. After 10 years of hearing this, my sister asked ‘Really?'”
The uncle finally admitted: “No, I just don’t remember anything interesting happening.”
Perhaps the real secret is that things may not be as secretive as we think.