• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

NATO Must Tackle Digital Authoritarianism

daftandbarmy

Army.ca Dinosaur
Reaction score
25,795
Points
1,160
Digital FREEEEEDOMMMMMM!

On another note, I'm glad to see the use of the terms such as 'Post-Westphalian' and 'Revanchist'. That kind of unconscious irony should help a much wider range of people to access and understand the concepts included in this article ;)

NATO Must Tackle Digital Authoritarianism​


NATO leaders are gathered in Madrid this week to mark the reinvigoration of the transatlantic alliance and to discuss its ongoing challenges. After the fall of the Soviet Union, some dismissed NATO as a relic. Vladimir Putin’s brutal and unjustified war against Ukraine to expand Russia’s sphere of influence and reclaim its former glory stands as a stark reminder that hegemonic fantasies backed by brute force remain a threat to the international order, even in the 21st century.

In response to Putin’s aggression, NATO has recovered its sense of purpose and relevance. It is also learning some important lessons regarding the future nature of warfare, from the criticality of adaptive leadership and robust logistics to the importance of asymmetric approaches. One of the most crucial lessons is that information dominance is essential, especially when confronting authoritarian powers like a revanchist Russia or a rising China who are willing to manufacture “facts” and create false narratives in order to undermine the political will and unity of their adversaries. As we look to the future, NATO must ask itself: How can we strengthen post-Westphalian institutions for a Wiki-world?

In the last century, the United States and our allies sacrificed lives and treasure to defend the liberal world order, vanquishing the Axis Powers in World War II and Soviet Communism in the Cold War. In this century, traditional reliance on kinetic force is not enough. The ability to control, process, disseminate and protect information is critical. Malign actors are investing in a host of digital technologies without any restraint or regulation, preparing for the day when artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a dominant force on the battlefield.

Digital authoritarianism – using technology for disinformation, ubiquitous surveillance and oppression of populations at home, and coercion abroad – is not the way of democracies, nor can it ever become our way. Instead, we need to reinvent our alliances and our own frameworks for information dominance consistent with our values. A coalition of like-minded nations could shape international technical and ethical standards, promote alignment on technology export controls, increase AI talent exchanges and technology investment, and importantly, facilitate cross-border data sharing.

 
Digital authoritarianism – using technology for disinformation, ubiquitous surveillance and oppression of populations at home, and coercion abroad – is not the way of democracies, nor can it ever become our way.


Yet
Instead, we need to reinvent our alliances and our own frameworks for information dominance consistent with our values. A coalition of like-minded nations could shape international technical and ethical standards, promote alignment on technology export controls, increase AI talent exchanges and technology investment, and importantly, facilitate cross-border data sharing.

Instead, establishing information dominance through establishing such a network should be a strategic imperative.



Hmm. Freedom, but…
 
Some interesting double think, seeing as most of the EU and now Canada have content requirements and filtering; just not as strict as China or Russia. We want digital freedom, but just NIMBY.....
 
the United States and our allies sacrificed lives and treasure to defend the liberal world order

I doubt that at the time most peoples' thoughts went much past defending themselves against the aggressor nations. Airy-fairy narratives to which the wars were fitted is just historical appropriation.

using technology for disinformation, ubiquitous surveillance and oppression of populations at home, and coercion abroad – is not the way of democracies

Politicians lie and obfuscate and try to manipulate media (ie. information) all the time. Democracies are full of people who are gung-ho for ubiquitous surveillance - with good intentions, of course. Not to oppress or coerce, merely to monitor who is doing what and give them helpful nudges when they are in danger of becoming unruly and anti-social.
 
Back
Top