Exploring the Impact of Disinformation on the Internet on Both the Official and Unofficial International Relations Among States
Open Access
Author:
Renz, Ethan
Area of Honors:
Global and International Studies
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Sommer N Mitchell, Thesis Supervisor Krista Brune, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Disinformation International Relations Diplomacy Conflict Geopolitics
Abstract:
States around the globe have always used informational warfare to their advantage, using disinformation to shape narratives and gain an upper hand in conflict. However, at the turn of the century, the informational age and rise of the internet has given states the opportunity to share disinformation at much faster speeds and reach an audience well beyond its borders. As such, rising levels of disinformation have created conditions in which international relations and diplomacy between states are directly being threatened as some states seek to push false narratives about each other which in turn creates a climate of mistrust. Relations between states, such as between Israel and other Arab states, are at risk of falling apart because of disinformation being shared on social media platforms and disinformation is accelerating rising levels of polarization between states at a time when states must be working with one another to address pressing global issues. This thesis will argue that disinformation being perpetrated by certain states puts diplomacy between states at risk. Through an extensive analysis of how disinformation is affecting relations between Russia and the United States, China and Taiwan, and Israel and the Arab world, a common conclusion reached is that disinformation is disrupting diplomacy between these case studies, at a time when global conflict is severe.
