Digital Intervention in National Political Systems in the Conditions of Contemporary Information Society

Sergey V Volodenkov

doi:10.14746/ps.2019.1.23

Abstract

The article analyzes the phenomenon of digital interference with national political systems in the conditions of the modern information society and the evolution of the Internet as a space of political communications. It is shown that digital intervention is relevant but at the same time a complex multidimensional phenomenon of contemporary politics. In many respects, the potential of the digital interference phenomenon is closely related to the substantive and functional features of the functioning and transformation of the contemporary Internet, which has been actively used when changing political regimes in many countries. The initiatives of countries to form the sovereign national segments of the Internet space are, on the one hand, an attempt to protect their political systems from external influence and invasion, to ensure their own political stability, and on the other hand, they pose risks to the democratic potential of the Internet. The article substantiates the thesis that the phenomenon of interference with elections in actual practice often becomes not so much an objective process as an instrument of information warfare, mass political propaganda and discredit of political opponents, a manipulative tool that can be actively used not only by authoritarian regimes with a low level of democratic development. It is noted that differences in understanding and defining the essence of the Internet by various countries give rise to a significant potential for political conflicts on a global scale. This leads the author to conclude that it is necessary to form institutions that are able to prevent and regu- late information conflicts in the Internet space, as well as reduce global political risks (including risks associated with potential interference in the electoral process of sovereign states), forming a collective responsibility in the functioning of the global Internet.

Highlights

E, mass political propaganda and discredit of political opponents, a manipulative tool that can be actively used by authoritarian regimes with a low level of democratic development
The extraterritorial formation of alternative and, as a rule, protest models of worldview and behavior, the substitution of cultural codes and values make it possible to exert pressure on the political regimes operating in the states, undermine the stability of their functioning, transform the electoral space and have a significant impact on the electoral process with an emphasis on the legitimization of existing power institutions, which is one of the main challenges to the entire system of sovereign political governance of contemporary state (Ruijgrok, 2017: 498–520; Wagner, Gainous, 2013: 261–275)
It is necessary to form united international institutions-regulators capable of preventing and regulating information conflicts in the Internet space, similar to the existing UN peacekeeping forces ensuring the prevention and settlement of military conflicts. Such a solution is mainly capable of reducing global political risks arising from the implementation of other scenarios for the development of the Internet in the contemporary world, forming the collective responsibility of countries in the framework of the Internet

Summary

Introduction

E, mass political propaganda and discredit of political opponents, a manipulative tool that can be actively used by authoritarian regimes with a low level of democratic development. The extraterritorial formation of alternative and, as a rule, protest models of worldview and behavior, the substitution of cultural codes and values make it possible to exert pressure on the political regimes operating in the states, undermine the stability of their functioning, transform the electoral space and have a significant impact on the electoral process with an emphasis on the legitimization of existing power institutions, which is one of the main challenges to the entire system of sovereign political governance of contemporary state (Ruijgrok, 2017: 498–520; Wagner, Gainous, 2013: 261–275).

Results

Conclusion