Digitalization of geopolitics: conflict and cooperation
This article explores the profound impact of digital technologies on international relations and geopolitical dynamics. It posits that the digital realm has become a new frontier in global politics, where state and non-state actors engage in both cooperative and antagonistic interactions. The advent of cyber warfare, digital espionage, and the strategic use of social media have introduced novel forms of conflict, challenging traditional notions of sovereignty and national security. Simultaneously, digital platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for cross-border collaboration, fostering diplomatic engagement and facilitating the achievement of shared goals. The article highlights the dual-use nature of digital technologies, serving both as tools for empowerment and instruments of power struggles. It discusses the emergence of digital alliances and networks that transcend national boundaries, reshaping the landscape of international cooperation. However, it also underscores the digital divide and the geopolitical implications of unequal access to technology, which can exacerbate existing tensions and inequalities. The article calls for a multilateral approach to govern the digital sphere, emphasizing the need for international norms and regulations that balance national interests with global digital commons.
Cohen, B. Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations. Washington: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
Deibert, R. “The Geopolitics of Internet Control: Censorship, Sovereignty, and Cyberspace,” Routledge Handbook of Internet Politics, eds. A. Chadwick, and Ph. N. Howard. Abingdon: Routledge, 2008, pp. 323–336.
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Karpovich, O. G., and Troyanskij, G. M. “Osobennosti ispol’zovaniia tsifrovoi diplomatii inostrannymi vneshnepoliticheskimi vedomstvami i mezhdunarodnymi organizatsiiami”, Diplomaticheskaia sluzhba, No. 4, 2020, pp. 96–105.
Lobastova, S. “Geopolitics of Cyberspace and Virtual Power,” Journal of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2020, pp. 97–113.
Miao, J. “Understanding the Soft Power of China’s Belt and Road Initiative through a Discourse Analysis in Europe,” Regional Studies, Regional Science, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2021, pp. 162–177.
O’Hara, K., Hall, W. Four Internets: The Geopolitics of Digital Governance. Waterloo: Centre for International Governance Innovation, 2018, URL: https://www.cigionline.org/static/documents/documents/Paper%20no.206web.pd
Olubukola, S. A. “Foreign Policy in an Era of Digital Diplomacy,” Cogent Social Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2017, URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311886.2017.1297175
Paul, E. Australia in the US Empire: A Study in Political Realism. Berlin: Springer, 2018.
Ragenedda M., and Muschert G. The Digital Divide. The Internet and Social Inequality from an International Perspective. London: Routledge, 2013.
Rosenbach, E., and Mansted, K. The Geopolitics of Information. Cambridge: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 2019, URL: https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/geopolitics-information
Tai, K., and Zhu Yuan Yi. “A Historical Explanation of Chinese Cybersovereignty,” International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, Vol. 22, No. 3, 2022, pp. 469–499.
Thomas, C. A. “Technology Competition between Nations: Views from Industry Leaders,” Brookings, August 9, 2023, URL: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/technology-competition-between-nations-views-from-industry-leaders/
Tuathail, G. “Understanding Critical Geopolitics: Geopolitics and Risk Society,” The Journal of Strategic Studies, Vol. 22, No. 2–3, 1999, pp. 107–124.
Volodenkov, S. V. “Sotsial’nye media kak instrument sovremennoi publichnoi politiki: Osobennosti i perspektivy primeneniia,” Politicheskaia nauka, Special Issue, 2017, pp. 290–305.
Volodenkov, S. V., and Fedorchenko, S. N. “Sub”ektnost’ tsifrovoi kommunikatsii v usloviiakh tekhnologicheskoi evoliutsii interneta: osobennosti i stsenarii transformatsii,” Politicheskaia nauka, No. 3. 2021, pp. 37–53.
Werthner, H. “Geopolitics, Digital Sovereignty… What’s in a Word?” Perspectives on Digital Humanism, eds. H. Werthner, E. Prem, E. A. Lee, and C. Ghezzi. Cham: Springer, 2022, pp. 241–248.
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Dillenberger, D. E., Gil, D., Nitta, S. V., and Ritter, M. B. “Frontiers of Information Technology,” IBM Journal of Research and Development, Vol. 55, No. 5, 2011, pp. 1–13.
Dolman, E. Astropolitik: Classical Geopolitics in the Space Age. London: Routledge, 2005.
Fedorchenko, S. N. “Effekt palladiuma: tsennosti velikikh derzhav v epokhu iskusstvennogo intellekta,” Zhurnal politicheskikh issledovanii, Vol. 7, No. 4, 2023, pp. 3–32.
Flint, C. Introduction to Geopolitics. London: Routledge, 2021.
Garcia-Macia, D., and Goyal, R. Technological and Economic Decoupling in the Cyber Era. Washington: International Monetary Fund, 2020, URL: https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2020/11/20/Technological-and-Economic-Decouplingin-the-Cyber-Era-49868
Hass, R., Kim, P. M., Kimball, E. et al. “U.S.-China Technology Competition. A Brookings Global China Interview,” Brookings, December 23, 2021, URL: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/u-s-china-technology-competition/
Karpovich, O. G., and Troyanskij, G. M. “Osobennosti ispol’zovaniia tsifrovoi diplomatii inostrannymi vneshnepoliticheskimi vedomstvami i mezhdunarodnymi organizatsiiami”, Diplomaticheskaia sluzhba, No. 4, 2020, pp. 96–105.
Lobastova, S. “Geopolitics of Cyberspace and Virtual Power,” Journal of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2020, pp. 97–113.
Miao, J. “Understanding the Soft Power of China’s Belt and Road Initiative through a Discourse Analysis in Europe,” Regional Studies, Regional Science, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2021, pp. 162–177.
O’Hara, K., Hall, W. Four Internets: The Geopolitics of Digital Governance. Waterloo: Centre for International Governance Innovation, 2018, URL: https://www.cigionline.org/static/documents/documents/Paper%20no.206web.pd
Olubukola, S. A. “Foreign Policy in an Era of Digital Diplomacy,” Cogent Social Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2017, URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311886.2017.1297175
Paul, E. Australia in the US Empire: A Study in Political Realism. Berlin: Springer, 2018.
Ragenedda M., and Muschert G. The Digital Divide. The Internet and Social Inequality from an International Perspective. London: Routledge, 2013.
Rosenbach, E., and Mansted, K. The Geopolitics of Information. Cambridge: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 2019, URL: https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/geopolitics-information
Tai, K., and Zhu Yuan Yi. “A Historical Explanation of Chinese Cybersovereignty,” International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, Vol. 22, No. 3, 2022, pp. 469–499.
Thomas, C. A. “Technology Competition between Nations: Views from Industry Leaders,” Brookings, August 9, 2023, URL: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/technology-competition-between-nations-views-from-industry-leaders/
Tuathail, G. “Understanding Critical Geopolitics: Geopolitics and Risk Society,” The Journal of Strategic Studies, Vol. 22, No. 2–3, 1999, pp. 107–124.
Volodenkov, S. V. “Sotsial’nye media kak instrument sovremennoi publichnoi politiki: Osobennosti i perspektivy primeneniia,” Politicheskaia nauka, Special Issue, 2017, pp. 290–305.
Volodenkov, S. V., and Fedorchenko, S. N. “Sub”ektnost’ tsifrovoi kommunikatsii v usloviiakh tekhnologicheskoi evoliutsii interneta: osobennosti i stsenarii transformatsii,” Politicheskaia nauka, No. 3. 2021, pp. 37–53.
Werthner, H. “Geopolitics, Digital Sovereignty… What’s in a Word?” Perspectives on Digital Humanism, eds. H. Werthner, E. Prem, E. A. Lee, and C. Ghezzi. Cham: Springer, 2022, pp. 241–248.
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Keywords: digital geopolitics; digital technologies; digital divide; digital sovereignty; digital diplomacy; multilateral governance
DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU0868-4871-12-2024-2-2-27-46
Available in the on-line version with: 15.04.2024
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