The Disconnective Power of Disinformation Campaigns

This paper argues that one of the major purposes of a disinformation
campaign is to sustain a discursive conflict between users of social networks.
By examining the phenomenon of “unfriending,” the paper describes
how disinformation campaigns sabotage horizontal connections between
individuals on either side of a conflict and strengthen a state’s capacity to
construct an image of an external enemy. The paper argues that horizontal
connections are targeted because they have the potential to mitigate social
cleavages, challenging state control over the legitimacy of a conflict narrative.
Understanding disinformation campaigns as a technology for the facilitation
of social polarization and the destruction of strong social ties allows us to rethink
policies for addressing the role of fake news, especially in the context
of a conflict. The paper highlights the need to develop tools that defend users
from engagement in manipulative discursive conflict and protect cross-conflict
social capital as a resource for potential conflict resolution.