Feature
The Weaponization of Social Media: Spear Phishing and Cyberattacks on Democracy
State-sponsored cyber groups have long utilized spear phishing to pierce government networks. Spear phishing relies on social engineering to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information or...
Robot Wars: How Bots Joined Battle in the Gulf
In the summer of 2017, Twitter bots—automated accounts—were deployed to boost messaging on both sides of the diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Some appeared commercial, made...
A New Approach to Assessing the Role of Technology in Spurring and Mitigating Conflict: Evidence From Research and Practice
Ongoing research and discussions examine the role of technology—information communication technologies in particular—in conflict, principally focusing on whether technology is a good or bad...
The Disconnective Power of Disinformation Campaigns
This paper argues that one of the major purposes of a disinformation campaign is to sustain a discursive conflict between users of social networks. By examining the phenomenon of “unfriending,” the...
Contentious Narratives and Europe: Conspiracy Theories and Strategic Narratives Surrounding RT's Brexit News Coverage
The field of conspiracy theories has previously focused primarily on the role of conspiracy theories in U.S. politics, neglecting the use of conspiracy theories as strategic narratives more broadly....
Dangerous Speech, Anti-Muslim Violence, and Facebook in Myanmar
This article addresses ethical dilemmas concerning freedom of expression and Facebook in a context of religious tension and semi-democratic rule in Myanmar. It begins with a discussion of how...
Digital Marketing In The Disinformation Age
Major social-media companies profess liberal values like global community and democratic participation as primary incentives motivating the design of their platforms and their proposed solutions to...
The Global Organization of Social Media Disinformation Campaigns
Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for political engagement and expression. However, state actors are increasingly leveraging these platforms to spread computational propaganda and...
The New Global Landscape: Illiberal Regimes and Movements
In the fall of 2016, I returned to the United States from Hungary. As many are now aware, especially following Hungary’s most recent elections, the country is the home of the European Union’s first...
The Future of Indian Deterrence in Space
China has developed an arsenal of counterspace weapons, which is likely to be a threat to Indian assets in space in the event of confrontration on Earth. Rahul Krishna and Radhika Chhabra propose a...