Digital communication speeds the spread of all information, true or otherwise. Increasingly, digital campaigns can have physical impacts by manipulating public opinion, eroding the distinction between truth and lie, and poisoning the forums for debating important ideas. Actors ranging from powerful countries to “lone wolves” can weaponize digital communications with novel technologies to change the course of an election or radicalize individuals to their cause.
This publication is part of a ten-part Institute for Security and Technology (formerly Tech4GS) and Center for a New American Security (CNAS) commentary series from Tech4GS’ M. Nina Miller, Alexa Wehsener, and Vera Zakem as we dive into digital trends likely to impact democracy in the next decade.
