This is true— of DHS so far, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it spread. The use of polygraphs as a loyalty test has history, too. It used to be routine for federal workers suspected of being either communists or gay to have to pass polygraphs to keep their jobs. www.dailykos.com/stories/2025... - ThreadSky

louisathelast.bsky.social • 1 day ago

This is true— of DHS so far, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it spread. The use of polygraphs as a loyalty test has history, too. It used to be routine for federal workers suspected of being either communists or gay to have to pass polygraphs to keep their jobs. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/20/2304871/-DHS-secretary-wants-to-subject-staffers-to-lie-detector-tests

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which-witch-ru.bsky.social•1 day ago

It’s also a way to psychologically manipulate people into actually believing the propaganda…like in Severance when their punishment is to keep repeating the lie until the machine shows they actually believe it. Obviously that’s a fictional reference but it has historical roots.

jonnyv.bsky.social•1 day ago

Why don't they just ask Grok which employees are loyal? Or use haruspicy?

romabysen.bsky.social•1 day ago

Its amazing this dumbass fraud device in still in use even after the inventor stated that it's bullshit.

louisathelast.bsky.social•1 day ago

Which is, of course, nonsensical, because polygraphs are notoriously unreliable. To the point where they are not admissible as evidence in court. That doesn’t stop cops from loving them

merisand.bsky.social•1 day ago

They literally only measure anxiety or nervous system stimulation, then wrongfully leap from that to "if me saying something makes you nervous, you must be lying." It's BS. Some of the most evil people I've known are perfectly calm when lying, because they're unempathetic, arrogant, & amoral

pearlriverflow.com•1 day ago

I think that's WHY cops love them.

louisathelast.bsky.social•1 day ago

And this is the Trump admin, so why let a little thing like “does it actually work” get in the way of a plan?

By the way, they were still polygraphing federal employees suspected of being gay well into the 80s

elanamaa.bsky.social•1 day ago

Which is why there are Know Your Rights posters in the break room of the county library where I work about when my employer can and cannot have me polygraphed. They passed laws about it! (My bosses are not perfect but they don’t have a polygraph machine)

redshiftsinger.bsky.social•1 day ago

“Does it actually work” is secondary to the purpose, which is “terrorize people”.

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