2023 Conference on International Cyber Security | 7-8 November 2023
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Panel 8

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The Power and Peril of Information in Cyber Conflict

Juan Ortiz Freuler

Juan Ortiz Freuler is a researcher affiliated to the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard Law, a Wallis Annenberg Fellow and PhD candidate at the Annenberg School of Communication (USC), and a co-initiator of the Non-Aligned Tech Movement.

With extensive professional experience as a Senior Policy Fellow at the Web Foundation, a Google Policy Fellow, and non-governmental organizations in Mexico and Argentina, Juan studies how companies and governments wield their influence to restructure information pathways, human knowledge and rights. Prior studies include law (DiTella), and Masters in Public Policy and Social Science of the Internet at the University of Oxford.

Personal website

Twitter/X: @juanof9

Abstract

Keynote

Disarming the propaganda machines: Informational disarmament, tech disarmament and the challenges of cyberwar over the open internet

As the internet becomes increasingly central to social life and international trade, the range and severity of cyber threats also grow. These threats now encompass the effects of propaganda and information operations. This paper proposes a taxonomy to facilitate discussions on disarmament related to online propaganda and information operations. By examining archival materials and news reports from historical disarmament efforts, I develop a conceptual framework that differentiates between technological and informational disarmament. I show how the concepts of trust and fear, which have historically influenced international disarmament and nonproliferation treaties, could be applied to advance discussions on technological and informational disarmament. Specifically, I suggest that initial steps toward informational disarmament could involve agreements to remove negative national stereotypes and cultural biases from datasets used in AI applications. For technological disarmament, I propose fostering agreements that enforce antitrust and interoperability norms for dominant consumer-facing information platforms, which would support greater algorithmic diversity and reduce monopolistic control.