Disinformation in Hybrid Warfare: The Rhizomatic Speed of Social Media in the Spamosphere
Abstract:
In this paper, two case studies are analysed, namely Finland’s Rapid Reaction Force and the arrest of a Russian citizen in Finland at the request of U.S. officials. A so-called rhizomatic focus (Deleuze and Guattari 1983) is adopted to assess social networking spam and the implications that this phenomenon has for interaction in security cases. In both case studies, the respective timeline of events and the social media impacts on the rhizomatic ‘spam’ information context are analysed. It is argued that the rhizomatic way in which junk information spreads within social media is comparable to a ‘spam world’. The main objective of spam is to compel someone to act the way the spammer wants. This spam world results from a technologized infrastructure that facilitates social media interaction without a proper understanding of the context of events and how individuals influence each other.
AUTHORS
Finnish National Defence University Helsinki
Finland
Dr. Aki-Mauri Huhtinen, (LTC [GS]) is a military professor at the Finnish National Defence University in the Department of Leadership and Military Pedagogy. His areas of expertise are military leadership, command and control, information warfare, the philosophy of science in military organizational research, and the philosophy of war. He has published peer-reviewed journal articles, a book chapter and books on information warfare and non-kinetic influence in the battle space. He has also organized and led several research and development projects in the Finnish Defence Forces during 2005-22.
Finnish National Defence University
Helsinki, Finland
Dr. Jari Rantapelkonen, (LTC, retired) is a professor emeritus at the Finnish National Defence University, Helsinki, Finland. His expertise areas include operational art and tactics, military leadership, information warfare, and the philosophy of war. He has served in Afghanistan, the Balkans, and the Middle East. He is a mayor at the Enontekiö county, Finland in the Arctic area.
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Journal of Information Warfare
The definitive publication for the best and latest research and analysis on information warfare, information operations, and cyber crime. Available in traditional hard copy or online.
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