Kompromat

is damaging information about a politician, a businessperson, or other public figure, which may be used to create negative publicity, as well as for blackmail, often to exert influence rather than monetary gain, and extortion. Kompromat may be acquired from various security services, or outright forged, and then publicized by use of a public relations official. The word kompromat comes from Russian (, short for "compromising material"). Widespread use of has been one of the characteristic features of the politics of Russia, as well as of other post-Soviet states. Etymology The term is a borrowing of the Russian NKVD slang term from the Stalin era, which is short for "compromising material". It refers to disparaging information that can be collected, stored, traded, or used strategically across all domains: political, electoral, legal, professional, judicial, media, and business. The origins of the term in Russian trace back to 1930s secret police jargon. Techniques In the early days, featured doctored photographs, planted drugs, grainy videos of liaisons with prostitutes hired by the KGB, and a wide range of other primitive entrapment techniques. More contemporary forms of appear as a form of cybercrime. One aspect of that stands the test of time is that the compromising information is often sexual in nature.