Vol. 13 No. 82 (2024)
Articles

Social media as an emerging threat to national security

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  • Lilia Nikitenko,
  • Olha Sharmar,
  • Oleksandr Marusiak,
  • Vladyslav Honcharuk,
  • Volodymyr Yanivskyi
Lilia Nikitenko
Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University, Ukraine.
Author Biography

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Constitutional, International and Criminal Law of the Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University, Ukraine.

Olha Sharmar
National Academy of Internal Affairs, Ukraine.
Author Biography

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Law of the National Academy of Internal Affairs, Ukraine.

Oleksandr Marusiak
National Academy of Law Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine.
Author Biography

Doctor of Philosophy in Law, Senior Research Fellow of the Scientific Research Institute of State Building and Local Government of the National Academy of Law Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine.

Vladyslav Honcharuk
Interregional Academy of Personnel Management, Ukraine.
Author Biography

Doctor of Philosophy in Law, Associate Professor, Associate professor of the Department of Financial and Economic Security Management, Institute of Security, Interregional Academy of Personnel Management, Ukraine.

Volodymyr Yanivskyi
Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University, Ukraine.
Author Biography

Postgraduate Student of the Department of Constitutional, International and Criminal Law of the Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University, Ukraine.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.82.10.8

Published 2024-10-30

Keywords

  • national security, information society, criminal liability, social media, communication technologies.

How to Cite

Nikitenko, L., Sharmar, O., Marusiak, O., Honcharuk, V., & Yanivskyi, V. (2024). Social media as an emerging threat to national security. Amazonia Investiga, 13(82), 100–111. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.82.10.8

Copyright (c) 2024 Lilia Nikitenko, Olha Sharmar, Oleksandr Marusiak, Vladyslav Honcharuk, Volodymyr Yanivskyi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This paper explores in depth the growing impact of social media on national security across the globe while highlighting the risks posed by the rapid dissemination of information, the organization of unauthorized protests, and the spread of disinformation. It has been demonstrated that social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and TikTok have been utilized by various actors, including activists, radical groups, and foreign states, in order to influence public opinion, incite violence, and destabilize governments. A comparative analysis of global events like the Arab Spring, the 2016 U.S. elections, Hamas attack against Israel, and protests in Hong Kong demonstrates how such platforms can serve dual purposes: fostering democratic values while simultaneously being exploited to undermine national stability. The research also addresses the specific issue of separatism, where social media is used to disseminate ideologies that threaten territorial integrity and constitutional order. The proposed study also examines the potential of cyberattacks coordinated via social media, thus highlighting the vulnerability of state institutions and critical infrastructure. The research concludes by stressing the urgent need for a balanced regulation of social media, offering insights into international legal frameworks, enhanced cybersecurity measures, and also various challenges in maintaining both freedom of expression and national security.

An elaborated set of research methods (comparative, historical, method of systemic analyses) has been actively used in the course of this research, thus enabling the authors to combine theoretical observations with comprehensive data analyses.

Existing legislative approaches to regulating social media in the context of protecting national security interests in various jurisdictions, including Israel, China, Pakistan, the United States, and Ukraine, have been covered in the paper.

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