New Security?
Social media has, in some ways, prompted a reconsideration of traditional security. With the introduction of the internet came the issue of cybersecurity, which is now considered a relatively standard aspect of both individual and state securities. These threats are international and can involve non-state actors, challenging the traditional notion of security as only national security. And, especially because many government agencies and leaders are involved in social media today, this new area of vulnerability must be considered.
An example of this vulnerability occurred January 12, 2015: the military’s US Central Command Twitter and YouTube accounts were hacked by ISIS supporters. The hack, ironically, occurred during President Obama’s address about cybersecurity and identity theft.
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The tweet linked to a statement: “While the US and its satellites kill our brothers…we broke into your networks and personal devices…We won’t stop! We know everything about you, your wives and children. U.S. soldiers! We’re watching you!” Though the tweet posed no immediate physical threat, it illustrated the shortcomings of social media platforms. And it’s clear that social media can have real impacts on security.
As discussed in previous posts, ISIS is using social media to recruit members and gain support. They have also used social media to “publicize executions of prisoners…and to espouse death, violence and hatred for all perceived enemies.” A study of ISIS’s twitter activity discovered 46,000-70,000+ “Twitter accounts operate on behalf of the Islamic State.” The unity of the accounts demonstrate a disciplined commitment to the cause, and ISIS’s social media presence has been much more sophisticated and effective than other extremist groups.
The influence of these activities, including international recruitment, have demanded a more abstract view of security. The US has created a counterterrorism media campaign to counteract ISIS’s online propaganda, targeting those debating “whether to join a violent extremist group.” Social media allows information to travel across the globe quickly, which can have both positive and negative implications for security.
The revolution mobilized through Facebook and Twitter in Egypt threatened the security of Mubarak’s existing regime. While assembling national support was important, the ability to spread information internationally was essential to the movement, creating a more powerful platform. The regime decided to “cut off access to the internet for a few days,” but Google and Twitter released a new form of Twitter, Speak2Tweet, that allowed Egyptians to use voice calls to post tweets. Because oppressive regimes cut internet access, it’s clear that cyber-communication is a threat to political stability. Just one individual’s message on social media could “tip the balance” in “times of conflict and crisis,” reflecting a shift in security from the state level to the individual level.
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International Institutions & Social Media
It is evident that transnational actors, especially terrorist groups, have used social media in a harmful manor. However, social media has proven effective for multiple international organizations: “Twitter is now a primary news channel for a number of [them].” Unicef has the most followers of any international organization, with over 3.6 million. The most compelling accounts, like UN Refugee Agency and The International Fund for Agricultural Development, go beyond news, telling real stories about individuals who are “often overlooked in mainstream media.” Twitter is becoming increasingly relevant for these organizations; for the World Health Organization, “’Twitter comes before the web and before press releases.’” Many organizations have “dedicated social media staff” to keep up with the admittedly time-consuming platform.
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Social media has the potential to be even more beneficial to the U.N. A study done by the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) explains how new “social media processing methods” could be used by the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to quickly assess natural disasters. QCRI used Typhoon Haiyan as a case study. They analyzed more than two million tweets related to the disaster, organizing them into time periods, regions, and tweets that “contained useful information” about conditions. This allows researchers to observe what needs are most prevalent in certain regions at certain times, so that aid can be most effectively distributed.
Though international organizations can be helpful in certain situations, a Time article suggests that, “for Syrians, social media is more useful than the U.N. Security Council.” A leaked report showed that “the aid that…manage[d] to break through [to Yarmouk, Syria] may have had more to do with a…photo and a massive social media campaign than any [action of the] U.N.” Because of this photo campaign, the UN Relief and Works Agency has been able to “deliver 9000 aid parcels…[able to] feed a family for 10 days, in the past two months.” Russia’s veto is preventing any real impact the Security council could have amidst Syria’s civil war, and as Russia backs the Assad regime, this seems unlikely.
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Social media has undeniably increased the capabilities of international organizations, making spreading information and mobilizing revolutions more instantaneous than ever, but these innovations come with new security concerns.
The Social Politics 
