Top-down selection of information as an element of strategic information management in the event of a threat of internal destabilisation

Abstract

In many authoritarian countries, the Internet is an oasis of freedom of speech and the free transfer of knowledge – thus, if not completely free, then at least a more free space for transferring content than traditional information providers. Nevertheless, the total freedom of this medium has passed irretrievably. Use of social media and other websites to post material that cannot be posted on traditional media, and even online newspapers tend to be affected by less stringent censorship laws. However, this does not change the fact that contemporary authoritarian regimes are going so far as to interfere with social media, either by blocking access to content or by promoting false information. The conducted analysis is to show the mechanisms of top-down information management in order to lead to widespread disinformation and distortion of reality. In this respect, it is worth bringing up the actions of the Russian authorities in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and the possible opposition of the Russian society to the ongoing military operations.