In popular culture and
UFO conspiracy theories,
men in black (
MIB) are men dressed in
black suits who claim to be
government agents and who harass or threaten
UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be
aliens themselves. The term is also frequently used to describe mysterious men working for unknown organizations, as well as various branches of government allegedly designed to protect secrets or perform other strange activities. The term is generic, used for any unusual, threatening or strangely behaved individual whose appearance on the scene can be linked in some fashion with a UFO sighting.