[tor-reports] Trip report: panel on nontraditional use of social media

[Runa A. Sandvik]

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago, I attended an event at NATO HQ in Brussels to speak
about nontraditional use of social media. I was on a panel with Dr.
Maura Conway from the University of Dublin and John Manley from the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The panel was
moderated by Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for
Emerging Security Challenges at NATO. The event was held under the
Chatham House Rule. Below is a list of key topics discussed and
questions asked:

1. Whether social media levels the playing field in giving protest
groups, insurgents, and terrorist organizations as much power to shape
events and mobilize people as governments and large organizations. In
short, who has the advantage: governments or protestors, at the
present time?

2. A number of articles have been written about how the Arab Spring
was helped by social media (think crowd sourcing and rapid
mobilization across frontiers), but we also saw traditional politics
and political groups take over and the younger generation seemed to
fade from the scene. When it comes to political rallying or social
transformation, does social media really have a major impact?

3. Is it possible to censor social media or are there ways around such
censorship? Should governments supporting democratic forces help them
to better exploit social media and find ways around censorship? There
was an article a few weeks ago suggesting that the United States
should assist the opposition forces in Syria in precisely this way.

4. How do you see social media evolving in the years ahead? Does it
represent the vox populi or a representative expression of democratic
opinion, or is it really a tool being manipulated mainly by special
interest groups? Will it remain largely the same or do you anticipate
major new innovations which will also have an impact on the role of
social media in our daily lives, as well as in politics?

Thanks to NATO for inviting me and for organizing a great event with a
lot of interesting discussion.

-- 
Runa A. Sandvik