True Costs of Misinformation | The Global Spread of Misinformation Laws
Between 2010 and 2022, 80 countries enacted new legislation or amended existing laws in an attempt to curb the spread of misinformation online. This sharp and global adoption of misinformation laws, however, cannot be explained by the sudden emergence of false or misleading information, as these problems have existed for a very long time.
Technical infrastructure as a hidden terrain of disinformation
While social media disinformation has received significant academic and policy attention, more consequential forms of intentional manipulation target the underlying digital infrastructures upon which society depends.
Exporting Autocracy: How Foreign Influence Operations Shape Democratic Attitudes
What impact do foreign authoritarian influence operations (FIOs) have on democracy? Through an examination of democratic attitudes in 15 African countries between 2009 and 2023, we present preliminary but compelling evidence that autocrats export authoritarianism.
Misinformed about Misinformation: On the polarizing discourse on misinformation and its consequences for the field
For almost a decade, the study of misinformation has taken priority among policy circles, political elites, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and the media.
Who spies on whom? Unravelling the puzzle of state-sponsored cyber economic espionage
Traditional conceptions of state-sponsored cyber economic espionage suggest that countries with different product profiles should experience high levels of espionage between them. However, this is not what we observe empirically. This article offers new insights into the strategic calculations that underpin state-sponsored cyber espionage and challenges scholars and policymakers to rethink the dynamics of international economic competition and security in the digital age.
Cyber economic espionage: a framework for future research
The study of economic espionage has been dominated by scholarship focused on its legal and legislative aspects. However, economic espionage has important political economy dynamics that have largely gone unexplored. This is unfortunate because recent technological advances and changing dynamics of interstate economic competition mean there is much scope for a progressive research agenda focused on the political economy of cyber economic espionage. This chapter outlines key under-researched areas where the most progress is possible. I advocate for studies focused on examinations of the motives of cyber economic espionage, its conduct, how governments respond to it and how it is influenced by economic interdependence.
Accountability and cyber conflict: examining institutional constraints on the use of cyber proxies
As state-sponsored cyber operations have proliferated, some states are outsourcing these operations to non-state cyber proxies. However, given the relative ease of outsourcing cyber operations, it is puzzling why more states are not engaged in this practice. This study examines how domestic accountability institutions potentially explain this restraint in the use of cyber proxies.
International trade and cyber conflict: Decomposing the effect of trade on state-sponsored cyber attacks
A state’s decision to engage in cyber operations has important implications for its trade. Successful cyber espionage could yield valuable trade secrets that could boost domestic production and spur economic growth. On the other hand, uncovered cyber operations could invite devastating sanctions that retard economic development. In spite of this, the nexus between trade and cyber attacks has received little attention in the literature. In this article, I explore how a state’s trade relations affect its propensity to engage in cyber attacks.