Speaker
Description
Digital platforms have become central arenas of contemporary geopolitical competition, blurring the boundaries between the virtual and the physical, the informational and the political. This paper examines Telegram as a key element of Russia's contemporary information warfare and influence operations, focusing on its role in shaping political discourse in Serbia. While Telegram has often been portrayed as a neutral or even emancipatory communication tool due to its encryption and resistance to state censorship, this paper argues that the platform has been effectively integrated into state-aligned information operations, functioning as a semi-informal extension of Russian strategic influence.
Drawing on an original dataset of over 140 pro-Russian Telegram channels operating in Serbia, the study combines network analysis, discourse analysis, and agenda-setting theory to map how narratives related to the war in Ukraine and domestic electoral politics are constructed, amplified, and localised. The findings demonstrate that Telegram enables a dense, transnational propaganda ecosystem that operates beyond traditional media regulation, leveraging platform affordances such as anonymity, rapid reposting, and low moderation to shape public agendas and political perceptions. Rather than relying solely on official state media, Russian influence is diffused through a hybrid network of media outlets, individual influencers, and radical political actors, allowing for plausible deniability and narrative flexibility.
The paper contributes to debates on digital transformation and power by showing how digital infrastructures function as strategic assets in contemporary international politics. It highlights the political consequences of platform governance gaps and the growing importance of messaging applications in cyber-enabled influence campaigns. By situating Telegram within broader discussions of digital sovereignty, hybrid warfare, and information security, the paper speaks directly to ongoing debates about the global, political, and societal implications of digital technologies in the information age.
| If you are submitting an Open Panel proposal, have you included all four abstracts in attachment? | No, I am submitting a Closed Panel abstract |
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| Would you like to be considered for travel funding through the NetSec COST Action? | No |
| Are you a member of the NetSec Management Committee? | No |
| What discipline or branch of humanities or social sciences do you identify yourself with? | Political Science |
| Which of the following best describes your stage of the career? | PhD Candidate |
| In which country is your home institution? | Sweden |
| What is your gender? | Female |