Information Warfare and Wikipedia

For our look at propaganda and misinformation in an online environment.

- Click here for the report. 

Information environments are being reshaped around the world by the idea that they are theatres of war. ‘Information warfare’ conceives of information not as a tool or an act, but as a contested space that war occurs within. Whether for geopolitical advantage, electoral success, the promotion of certain ideas, or for economic gain, within this idea of warfare the value of information is purely instrumental, a way of achieving the ulterior ends of changes in attitudes, beliefs, identity and behaviour.

One of the tools of information warfare is disinformation, and huge amounts of academic research and journalistic investigation have exposed disinformation in its various forms across social media platforms. But joining disinformation are a suite of other techniques that can be less obvious: platform manipulation, inorganic amplification, the exploitation of false identity, malicious automation, coordinated inauthentic behaviour and a list of others that continues to grow.

- For more on Information warfare click here.

Information warfare is the manipulation of information trusted by a target without the target's awareness so that the target will make decisions against their interest but in the interest of the one conducting information warfare. As a result, it is not clear when information warfare begins, ends, and how strong or destructive it is. Information warfare may involve the collection of tactical information, assurance(s) that one's information is valid, spreading of propaganda or disinformation to demoralize or manipulate the enemy and the public, undermining the quality of the opposing force's information and denial of information-collection opportunities to opposing forces. Information warfare is closely linked to psychological warfare.