Information Manipulation and Organised Crime: Examining the Nexus

Type: Research PaperCountry: RussiaCountry: UkraineCountry: MoldovaCountry: Albania
Written By Guest User

October 2023

Research Paper 22

Dr Tena Prelec, University of Rijeka

SOC ACE Project: Information Manipulation and Organised Crime

Concept image person with hood merged with the skyline of a city turned vertically

PUBLICATION SUMMARY

In recent years, concerns have grown regarding information manipulation, particularly in relation to the disinformation tactics employed by authoritarian regimes. This research delves into the intriguing, lesser-explored realm of organised crime (OC) groups' involvement in shaping information landscapes.

  • Drawing from Nicholas Barnes' 'political criminality' concept, the paper introduces a new framework for assessing the relationship between information manipulation and organised crime.

  • Applied to real-world case studies from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova (Transnistria), and Albania, the framework reveals diverse patterns in these relationships, and the varying intensity of the information manipulation employed, at a granular level.

  • An emerging hypothesis coming out of the research suggests that authoritarian states may wield greater freedom in misusing information when they have intermediate –rather than high – levels of integration with the OC groups executing disinformation campaigns on their behalf.

  • Several areas for further research include public receptivity to IM; the mercurial nature of ties between elite actors; and elites’ use of IM to confuse the public rather than changing their minds.

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