What the Internet Changes in a War Like the One Between Ukraine and Russia.
This brings advantages in terms of information but requires the ability to step back and not be trapped.
I am writing these few lines as we are on the 12th day of the war between Ukraine and Russia. What jumps out at me since the beginning of this war is the role played by the Internet.
First of all, in terms of information. Previously, it was enough to neutralize television, radio, and telecom centers to have clear informational supremacy. The decentralized nature of the Internet, as well as its satellite accesses, make any attempt to cut off a country's telecommunications illusory.
Moreover, encrypted messaging systems such as Telegram or Signal make it very difficult to intercept them en masse, even without taking into account the initiative of Elon Musk, who sent Ukrainians Starlink terminals connected to his low-altitude satellite constellations.
On the ground, surveillance cameras of cities or individuals are proving to be powerful information tools to know where enemy troops are. If each side can use them, the fact that they were installed by Ukrainians gives them an advantage: they know their IP addresses and passwords ... for those who have one.
In the same vein, 4G cameras and actuators, available at will for a few dozen dollars, are proving to be formidable tools for detonating a bomb when a military vehicle passes by.
Still, on the ground, Google has just announced that, with the agreement of the Ukrainian authorities, it was deactivating the function allowing to see traffic jams on Google Maps to prevent Russian troops from following the movements of the Ukrainians when they plan strikes.
On the side of social networks, disinformation from Russian troll farms is surging. However, the big players, such as Meta, Google, or Twitter, do not plan to close them down because they are the only place where information that has not been perverted by official propaganda can still be disseminated. Facebook has banned advertising from Russian territory, and while Meta, as well as YouTube and Twitter, have now blocked RT and Sputnik, these platforms have to make a considerable moderation effort to limit disinformation of informal origin.
Surprisingly, apostles of unconditional free speech, such as the founder of Telegram, have announced that they will be shutting down certain chat groups, without specifying whether they are Ukrainian or Russian.
One of the tricks Putin's opponents have found to inform the public is to explain what is happening in Ukraine by posting comments with pictures in the reviews of Russian restaurants on Google Maps and other booking platforms!
For all these platforms, the hour of truth will soon ring: the Russian government has ordered them to comply with a law on internal security that requires them to have an office with local representatives. This means having interlocutors who can be thrown in jail if they do not obey orders from Vladimir Putin's regime. Otherwise, they will be banned.
However, the main field of expression of new technologies in this conflict is that of cyberattacks. In its misfortune, Ukraine may have had a chance: victim in 2017 of one of the most powerful cyberattacks - the notorious NotPetya virus - against its infrastructure, from the power grid to banks, it had drawn the consequences and significantly strengthened them. In the opinion of experts, they are now showing unexpected resilience.
The Internet is changing the information game in a war like the one between Ukraine and Russia. On the one hand, it offers more opportunities for information directly from the conflict zone, but on the other, it increases the risk of misinformation. As we are in the middle of a propaganda war, it is more important than ever to learn to step back and not be blinded by the point of view that one side or the other is trying to impose on you.
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