Politics, social media and information technology are merging in this age of digitalisation. They are becoming co-dependent on each other in so many ways. Together they have the power to topple governments, create havoc, make or break economies, create or destroy public interest and overthrow regimes. Apart from the political tweets, governmental awareness campaigns and social media activism, there is much more to the platform than what meets the eye.
Cyber politics has become an independent field of study in the modern world. It is a study that relates to the impact of online (cyber) activities on the state and international politics. The cyber politics involve every activity including journalism, fundraising, blogging, volunteer recruitment, and organization building that are aimed for some political cause.
Governments all over the world have been massively influenced and interfered by cyber politics which often make use of and exploit the power of social media. This practice surfaced during American elections. It was the time when political accounts were hacked and fake reports of rigging increased. Such activities were rampant and the aim was to fulfil certain agenda.
Besides these, Russian digital diplomacy and Chinese technological monopoly all play into the race to win the cyber-super power on the digital globe. Let us take a look at how cyber politics play an important role on national and international platforms and how a state system in majorly is affected by cyber politics.The recent past is replete with instances when cyber politics acutely influenced the governmental systems around the globe.
AMERICAN CASE STUDY
In 2017 elections, the global community had a chance to observe the role of cyber politics, soft power, public diplomacy and information strategies in the American government. Ever since, the state is known to use its soft power on digital campaigning, along with its hard power of military targeting different areas of the world.
RUSSIAN CASE STUDY
The earlier accusations about the involvement of the Russian government in the elections of United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and others during the period 2015–2017 shows how far the Russians can go to turn the tables in their favour. The Russian hackers are no longer unknown to the international online platforms. Some time back the internal regulation of the internet arrested a journalist in Russia who promoted the nonconformist agenda. This incident is yet another testimonial to the efforts in controlling the online narrative.
EGYPTIAN CASE STUDY
Prior to the Arab spring, the social media and the cyber technology played a huge role in creating resistance and toppling governments. The first one being the toppling of Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Throughout the 18-day period of the intense protests before his stepping down, protesters filled up Tahrir Square in Cairo and used social media such as blogs, Twitter, and Facebook to not only share their experiences on the ground but also to promote their revolutionary agenda. This kind of activity shook the government and brought into light the power of new media in influencing the political landscape. Ever since, the governments in these regions are alert and on watch for any online activity that shows signs of dissent.
GULF AND NORTH AFRICA
The years preceding the Arab spring made governments recognize the power of dissents to topple regimes using cyber technology. The common strategy was to amplify selected content on social media which sent shockwaves and created upheavals in the power corridors. In July 2010, over thirty thousandtweets were recorded per day in Arabic. This figure blew out of proportion to two million per day in October 2011. This coincided with the time Arab springs were making headlines everywhere around the globe. These events is testimony to the fact that cyber politics is no longer a benign tool of conspiracy theorists but a potent data driven weapon that possesses the power to alter world opinion.
CYBER POLITICS AND STATE
Keyboard War is a relatively new term generally taken in the context that social media platforms are available for every person that has access to a decent mobile device and internet connection. Now such people have the power to share their opinion publicly and everyone else has the option to endorse it or oppose it. Now it is accepted as a legitimate right of every person to share This made the phrase of keyboard war legitimate that every person can share his opinion and in the process influence general opinion.
NEW AREAS
The idea of shaping the opinion of the masses through the use of cyberspace can be seen in reality by a recent example of Israel-Palestine conflict. Long before people knew about the uses of internet, the Israelis found its future implications and created an organization specifically to shape the narratives to their side. The organization was known as hasbara army that aimed at ensuring criticism of Israel would be met through hostility, attacks and counter accusations, most often through anti-Semitism. This proved to be a real asset in shaping the global opinion about the conflict in favour of Israelis.
Until recently, the cyberspace was enjoyed by the internet geeks of Israel but the recent conflict turned the tables of the arena. Popular activists such as Mohammad EL Kurd and MarwaFatafta took to the social media and changed the popular opinion of the west. The mass content that flooded the social media platforms forced the international media platforms to take on the Palestinian issue and discuss the Palestinian narrative. This contributed towards the unprecedented shift of the global narrative about Palestine and it also proved how important is cyber politics in today’s world.
ROLE OF TWITTER
Twitter is one of the most popular media platforms even the world notables use to express their unofficial or official decisions or opinions on different issues. The most populist governments around the world use twitter as a source of public interaction. Examples of Donald trump and Imran khan can be taken here. The idea of hacking or closing the twitter account of a notable personality is also seen as big blow to the social standing of the person in the digital world.
ROLE OF GOVERNMENTS
States too have demonstrated a readiness to target individuals based on their activity in cyberspace. Several arrests and sentences can be cited around the globe to prove that governments are now playing an active role in suppressing voices of dissent. Any person who is seen as a potential threat to upset the balance of power is likely to be apprehended and taken into custody.
This is a form of digital authoritarianism where a popular idea that can change the opinion of the masses is turned down or virtually incapacitated by the government. Journalists who are usually vocal against injustices and contentious government policies are targeted and victimized for their hostile attitude. When farmers took to the streets and marched towards the capital to voice their disdain over the new farm laws, the Indian government authoritatively blacked out the news from all channels including the digital media. The internet facilities were completely shut down by the authorities, affecting around 52 million users. The popular social media platform of twitter was asked by the Indian government to close the accounts of media persons in the region of the conflict. The result? Lack of coverage—and sympathy—brought the farmer’s movement to a grinding halt.
Cyber politics seems to have firmly planted its roots in society. Needless to say, it is here to stay and it is destined to play important, albeit controversial, role on world stage, influencing the trajectory of world events. Digital authoritarianism is a new term the world is coming to terms with. The roles of twitter, facebook, instagram and other propaganda machines cannot be underestimated. The impact of cyber politics isn’t something that can be cast aside as insignificant. It is potent, powerful and fully capable of toppling the most stable setups. Businesses, governments and individuals cannot escape its effects. A pragmatic approach is to devise ways to use cyber politics to their own advantage.
Great article indeed, need more articles like this one