The Islamabad Policy Research Institute held a webinar on "Social Media in the Times of War and Peace" on the 27th of January, featuring a prestigious panel comprising of cyber-security, defense and diplomatic experts.

The panel featured James P. Farwell, expert in information warfare and former advisor to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Central Command, and the U.S. Strategic Command; and Emerson T. Brookings, Resident Senior Fellow of Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council.

Discussing the topic pertaining to the 'Weaponization of Social Media and How that Perpetuates Conflicts at Large', Farwell spoke about the nature of social media platforms, and how information is become an essential currency of the digital age.

Furthermore, he explained that social media is increasingly being used as a tool to circumvent the authority of state actors by fringe proxy groups, and to develop a narrative online to gain international support and leverage.

Farwell stressed that in a highly connected world, the internet has transformed the use of communication, as it has blurred the boundaries between war and politics, and elevated the importance of communication.

Discussing ‘Information Warfare and the Ramifications on Democracy and How it Broadly Impacts the Decision-making’, Emerson T. Brooking commented on the use of misinformation and propaganda during wars throughout history and how social media now has the power to escalate conflict situations - citing the Capitol Hill riots as one of the major examples.

This was the first in a series of numerous webinars held by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute on the challenges faced due to the usage of social media.