One important question that's missing from the article is: "Why do the FBI think that the author would be a valuable informant?". Other people have commented in

One important question that's missing from the article is: "Why do the FBI think that the author would be a valuable informant?". Other people have commented in this thread with their own experiences of having been threatened and coerced by federal agencies. These people for the most part provided concrete reasons why they would be targeted for such a job, mostly being professionals involved in computer security research, or having valuable contacts who are. Does the FBI have reason to believe that this individual has proximity to individuals who are at risk of committing illegal acts? Playing devils advocate, there's an awful lot that the article wants us to take at face value.