Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

3-2023

Publication Title

H-Sci-Med-Tech, H-Net Reviews

Pages

3 pp.

Abstract

[First paragraph] Information warfare (IW) in the twenty-first century has become a major issue facing democracies across the globe. In Tyrants on Twitter: Protecting Democracies from Information Warfare, David L. Sloss focuses on how legislation may help stem the tide of nefarious authoritarian state actors. Sloss posits that IW in the twenty-first century is allowing democratic decay and that an allied transnational front based on common legislation is a necessary step in equalizing the playing field. Sloss specifically focuses on state agents of Russia and China, calling for limitations on known state actors and eliminating malevolent agents' ability to use the tools of social media to generate and share mis/disinformation. Sloss's proposed legislation calls for the following: an international registration system, a range of public and private account potentials offered by social media companies, a ban on known state agents hailing from China and Russia, disclosure requirements for non-state actors living in China and Russia, and technological tools. In short, Sloss seeks to make subverting the aforementioned tactics more difficult and expensive for those looking to use social media for malevolent ends.

Original Publication Citation

Nieubuurt, J. (2023). [Review of the Tyrants on Twitter: Protecting democracies from information warfare by D. Sloss]. H-Sci-Med-Tech, H-Net Reviews. ttps://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=58541

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