The role of social media in the information warfare in the context of war

Abstract

Background: The Russian-Ukrainian war has unprecedented features of information warfare, which is happening online and involves a wide range of participants. The need for timely and accurate information about events in Ukraine and effective control of disinformation has only intensified with the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian media have had to quickly adapt to new conditions, find new ways of gathering information, and learn to work in the absence of security guarantees. Telegram is the most popular social media platform among users in Ukraine, followed by Facebook and YouTube. With the full-scale invasion, Telegram becomes a key platform for searching and exchanging information. However, the platform is controversial because it is not a source of information itself but rather a place where information is posted. Therefore, there is a need for critical thinking and information verification. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the role of social media in war and specify the peculiarities of social media usage in Ukraine after a full-scale invasion. Methods: secondary analysis of sociological researches devoted to the analysis of social networks in Ukraine in 2022-2023. Conclusion: Social media and internet resources have become important tools in the information war. On the one hand, social media has begun to play a role in citizen monitoring, data collection and analysis, organizing humanitarian aid, and coordinating the actions of various groups and organizations. On the other hand, the risks of information warfare have intensified with the popularity of social media, including the spread of disinformation and fake news, privacy and confidentiality violations, including monitoring and spying, and an increase in cyber attacks. Keywords: social networks, social media, information warfare, Telegram.