Social Media Is Now Viewed As A Weapon By Most Militaries And Governments

DIY Genius

Seán Carnew & Jason Furlong, RCD/US Naval Institute: Social Media is a Weapon

Social media has grown into a disruptive technology that must be considered by militaries and governments.

Technological innovations that become disruptive can go unnoticed at the time of their emergence. In hindsight, it may seem obvious they would result in fundamental changes. Most recently, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and chat boards—originally intended as means of communication for use by the public—have evolved into platforms for advertising, political messaging, and the coordination of social movements.

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WNU Editor: I know from an intelligence perspective .... social media is now regarded as a medium that is information and intel rich for intelligence agencies to monitor and analyse. As a weapon .... social media can certainly be used in not only pushing disinformation, but to manipulate public opinion and government policies and priorities. The question that remains to be answered is .... how major of a weapon can social media become for governments and the military to use, and how will opposing governments and the military respond to defend themselves.