by Drew Stephens | May 8, 2024 | Information Warfare, Media, Politics, Uncategorized
Sometimes, it’s natural to feel confused, especially in today’s world, where complex and often distorted narratives are familiar. Various adversaries seem to use the “Art of Confusion” against the United States to sway public opinion. This phenomenon is also known as the “Fog of War.” The United States is currently engaged in a different type of war, where we are fighting near-peer nations on the information warfare and cyberspace front. As a nation, we are trying to safeguard the nationalism of our citizens’ minds.
Russia and China are waging a calculated information war against America’s democratic institutions and society. Their state-controlled media outlets and cyber-influence tactics are used to weaponize information, precisely targeting and manipulating societal divisions through the internet and social media. The consequences of this “Art of Confusion” are dire, as Americans are turning against each other, and the fabric of our society is being dangerously undermined.
Confusion arises when people encounter conflicting or intricate information, confront uncertain scenarios, or find it challenging to process excessive stimuli. This results in a need for more clarity, comprehension, or conviction about something. One tactic from the Communist playbook is generating confusion so we cannot fully understand situations.
It’s concerning that the brain’s cognitive processes can be disrupted, making it challenging to organize and interpret incoming information. How we consume news is an important aspect to consider. In the past, watching the news on T.V. was a reliable source of information. However, today, it is hard to trust news outlets. During significant events such as the recent attack by Hamas on Israel and Israel’s subsequent retaliation, we often turn to social media for real-time updates. Unfortunately, unlike television, social media is not bound by regulations that ensure truthful content. It has become a battlefield for facts, lies, and deception, where journalists, governments, law enforcement, and activists are on an uneven playing field. It’s time to be mindful of the sources we rely on for information and take responsibility for verifying the accuracy of what we read and hear.
The current crisis between Hamas and Israel on social media demands our attention. The spread of violent rhetoric, disinformation, and sorrow is alarming and makes it difficult to determine the truth. It’s disheartening that some individuals have used this situation to gain personal fame or fuel political discord by sharing inaccurate or re-contextualized media. Even governments, including the U.S., have been caught off guard by the failure of Israeli intelligence to detect the land, sea, and air attacks. Despite Israel’s controversial cyber defense and spyware technology, the question remains: how could such a devastating event have occurred? We must put an end to the spread of misinformation and work towards a future where tragedies like this can be prevented. Let’s unite and take action to create a safer and more informed online community.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on how we reacted to some past events. Do you remember how we responded to the Peshawar attacks, Sydney attacks, Ottawa attacks, Boko Haram, ISIS phenomenon, Malaysian plane disappearances, Como’s involvement with nursing homes, and the deaths that occurred during COVID or, better yet, Epstein’s Death and black book of clients, or the Trojan Horse scandal, Sandy Hook, Boston bombing, and Lee Rigby? I’ll pause there and let you think about it.
Have you ever stopped to think about the impact of our reaction towards global incidents? We often find ourselves consumed by the story, scrutinizing every detail, questioning the media’s narrative, and expressing our frustration with biased portrayals of Muslims or the media’s double standards and injustices. But what do we indeed gain from this? In reality, we only end up stuck in a cycle of emotional highs and lows, to repeat the same process when the following ‘global’ incident occurs. My friends, it’s time to take a step back and recognize the power of distraction in action. Let’s break free from this cycle and channel our energy towards positive change. We can make a difference and bring a brighter future for all.
“Consider the cost of our time invested in this routine. Why do we continue to follow the same pattern when it leads to no progress? Are we witnessing a world spiraling into chaos, or is a dark and deliberate agenda being executed? Let us question the status quo and seek answers to uncover the truth.”
It’s human nature to feel saddened by deaths, angered by injustice, and oppressed by mockery. We are not robots and shouldn’t try to suppress our emotions. But let’s take a moment to step back and view things objectively, with depth and from a distance, instead of getting lost in the chaos. When we detach ourselves emotionally, we gain a clearer perspective and see things differently. It’s essential to be strategic and thoughtful in our approach to these issues so we can address them effectively. Let’s be human, but let’s also be rational, wise, and strategic.
How Governments Conduct Warfare Operations:
The DIME model is the cornerstone of a state’s warfare operations. This model, which stands for diplomacy, information, military, and economics, inflicts pain and confusion on the enemies before deploying the military. It’s no secret that attacking information vectors is a well-worn tactic of war, which is why governments routinely monitor telecom data and communication networks. However, the open data policies of the web are a cause for concern among advocates of privacy and human rights. Let’s band together to ensure that our data remains private and our rights are protected.
Undoubtedly, social media has become a profound tool that can shape public opinion. Unfortunately, many governments have taken advantage of this by using cyber troops to manipulate online discussions. Cyber troops are groups of people hired by political parties or governments to spread false information online. Shockingly, as per the Oxford Internet Institute’s 2020 study, cyber troops are active in 81 countries, and they use various tactics, including spending millions on online advertising, to deceive people. It is worth noting that this type of low-grade information warfare differs from direct cyber warfare, which targets opponents or infrastructure. Cyber troops use social media and the internet to their advantage using impersonation, bots, and other social engineering methods. This is a grave concern, and governments worldwide must act to prevent such malicious activities.
Learn about Professor Donovan’s revolutionary research, which is causing a stir in the online community. As a distinguished authority at Boston University’s College of Communications, she co-wrote the insightful book Meme Wars, which uncovers the untold narrative of the online confrontations that threaten democracy in America.
When necessary and newsworthy events occur, such as Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, people tend to turn to social media for up-to-date information instead of watching T.V. However, it’s important to note that while television is still required to follow regulations that ensure accuracy in reporting, social media is a platform where factual information, lies, and deception coexist. This creates an uneven playing field for governments, journalists, law enforcement, and activists.
The situation regarding Hamas and Israel on social media is much more severe than just a “fog of war.” It’s a relentless flood of true terror, violent statements, grief, and disinformation. Some people are taking advantage of this situation to promote their agendas, such as by inflaming the situation in Russia or gaining more followers by sharing video game clips or old images of war taken out of context. Even the U.S. government was surprised by the failure of Israeli intelligence to detect the land, sea, and air attacks. Given Israel’s controversial cyber defense and spyware, how could such an attack have occurred without detection? The situation is undoubtedly dire, and it is high time that we pause and consider the gravity of this issue and its impact on innocent lives.
Are you aware of the information war that takes place on social media platforms every day? We are all a part of it, whether we realize it or not. Recognizing false information is only the first step. We must also take care not to inadvertently contribute to this digital conflict.
Data on cyber troops is still limited because researchers rely heavily on takedown reports by social media companies. However, the Oxford researchers were able to identify that, in 2020, Palestine was a target of information operations from Iran on Facebook, and Israel was a target of Iran on Twitter, which indicates that disinformation campaigns know no borders. Researchers also noted that Israel developed high-capacity cyber troop operations internally, using tactics like botnets and human accounts to spread pro-government, anti-opposition, and suppress anti-Israel narratives. The content Israel’s cyber troops produced or engaged with included:
Disinformation campaigns.
Trolling.
Amplification of favored narratives.
Data-driven strategies to manipulate public opinion on social media.
Of course, there is no match for the cyber troops deployed by the U.S. government and ancillary corporations hired to smear political opponents, foreign governments, and anyone who gets in the way. Companies like Facebook have employed P.R. firms to use social media to trash competing companies’ reputations. It’s open warfare—and you’ve likely participated.
As for who runs influence operations online, researchers found evidence of a blurry boundary between government operatives and private firms contracted to conduct media manipulation campaigns online. This situation suggests that contemporary cyber operations are best characterized as fourth-generation warfare, which blurs the lines between civilians and combatants.
It also calls into question the validity of the checks platforms built to separate fact from fiction. For instance, a graphic video of the war posted by Donald Trump Jr.—images which Trump Jr. claimed came from a “source within Israel”—was flagged as fake through X’s Community Notes fact-checking feature. The problem, though, was that the video was real. This would not be the first time we have seen fact-checkers spread disinformation, as pro-Russian accounts did something similar in 2022.
Social media -often used to manipulate public opinion, defame opponents, and leak confidential government documents through deceptive tactics. Politicians should verify their statements with factual evidence. Biden has been the subject of fact-checking for making a false claim.
As Israel and Palestine face more attacks, people from various fields are engaging in fourth-generation warfare using information networks as weapons. These networks are crucial in distributing bytes of information, such as viral videos, memes, and hashtags, over long distances.
If we have all been drafted into this war, here are some things that can help you gauge if an online post might be disinformation. Ask yourself: Is it a promoted post or an ad, and is it a shortcut to massive audiences that can be very cheap to go viral? Is there authentic engagement in the post, or do all the replies seem strange or unrelated? Reverse search pics and account banners, and see if the way-back machine has screenshots of the account from prior months or years. Last but not least, to spot spam, view attached media (pictures, video, links, etc.), look for duplicates, and see if the account engages in spam postings, for example, replaying lots of posts with innocuous comments.
“It doesn’t matter how you call it; this is warfare; when an enemy nation utilizes various methods to cause harm to another country, it constitutes an act of war, warfare, and an attack. Take, for instance, Russia and China to leverage the ongoing racial turmoil in the United States for their geopolitical advantage.
George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, leading to demonstrations turned violent, resulting in rioting and lethal clashes with law enforcement.
As of now, there is no publicly available evidence indicating that other countries have been involved in carrying out violent acts during the protests that have occurred in America. However, experts in unconventional warfare and U.S. officials tend to agree that foreign actors have attempted to exploit the unrest caused by George Floyd’s death to create instability within the United States.
Conclusion
In recent times, the United States has been subjected to an intensified information warfare that is unlike any other in its history. It is vital to understand that disseminating misleading and false information has become a prevalent tactic foreign and domestic actors use to achieve their desired objectives. As Americans, we are responsible for staying informed and aware of these tactics and remaining astute to the art of confusion and distraction in action. We must be cautious and discerning in our information consumption and always verify the sources before accepting any news as accurate. Whether you have a bias or not, you can help minimize the impact of this information warfare and promote transparency and accountability in our society and on social media.