Views /Opinion

Cyber politics as a global issue!

By the mid-21st century, it became evident that the “cyberspace” created by the internet had profound effects on the broader dynamics and patterns of international politics. The concept of cyber politics emerged as a field of academic research, transcending the noise to analyze the content of political discourse on the internet, exploring how it is used, and examining its implications for numerous issues and infrastructures.

These infrastructures are the backbone of various fields—industrial, military, security, energy, water, healthcare, transportation, banking, and government institutions. As a result, cyberspace has become an integral part of national security, transforming the nature of warfare, its techniques, and its strategies by altering the forms of threats and the potential damage to critical and strategic institutions.

Professor Nazli Choucri, a scholar of international relations and cyber politics, was among the first to draw attention to the concept of “cyber politics.” She described it as a modern term that connects political processes—determining who gets what, when, and how—with the dynamics of cyberspace as a new domain in international relations.

Accordingly, the academic understanding of “politics” in cyberspace involves explicitly considering this domain in analyzing global politics. It also examines observable patterns of cyber access and participation worldwide, the emergence of new types of international disputes stemming from activities in the virtual world, and the new imperatives introduced by the internet in interpreting international relations theories and methodologies.

Today, cyber politics has become a widely used term among academics and researchers analyzing the expanding influence of the internet on political activities. Research in this area has gained significant momentum, aiding in strategic planning and leadership in the realms of big data and internet governance. It also highlights the growing challenges posed by cyber threats to governments, organizations, and societies at large.

Over the past two decades, cyber politics has become one of the most critical global public issues, extending beyond mere technical considerations in international policy or theoretical research. Cyberspace now impacts democracies, dictatorships, political processes, and state-society interactions. It influences market operations and policymaking at all levels. Moreover, it affects a broad spectrum of political issues, including sovereignty, elections, campaigns, democracy, protests, repression, war, security policy, counterterrorism, international cooperation, migration, identity, and citizenship.

This raises a series of pressing questions: How is politics governed in cyberspace? How does cyberspace influence political processes? To what extent is cyberspace used for political activity? How do digital technologies reshape democratic politics? What is their impact on international relations? Has cybersecurity become a political issue? Will governance models worldwide be reshaped by cyberspace? And will e-democracy influence other governance models across nations?

These questions arise amidst the vast expansion of cyberspace, which compels a redefinition of what is global, human, and ethical. The rounds of revisions that various social and human sciences underwent during the Fourth Industrial Revolution no longer seem sufficient to capture the contemporary reality. A new round of rethinking appears imminent in the field of international relations as humanity enters the era of cyber politics.

It is evident that cyberspace significantly influences various aspects of life, including politics. Through its diverse tools, cyberspace reshapes both local and global political landscapes, transforming individual, societal, and state awareness and perceptions. New structures and frameworks are emerging in international relations, where politics no longer exists solely in the tangible world. Instead, the limitless realism shaped by cyberspace plays a decisive role in political domains.

Furthermore, cyber politics has created a world where virtually everything is at risk, from hospitals and trains to dams, energy, water, and banks. The widespread proliferation of digital technologies, devices, and data, coupled with the inherently flexible and multi-agency nature of cyber exploitation, has extended the scope of conflict beyond traditional boundaries. Sectors previously unaffected by historical conflict zones are now vulnerable to cyberattacks.

The politicization of cyberspace manifests as it becomes a key subject in negotiations among states and relevant international organizations. These entities are increasingly paying attention to the challenges posed by cyberspace. However, despite the seemingly boundless opportunities for progress and development offered by cyber technologies, they also present exceptional global risks and challenges. International principles and rules governing their use remain questionable and are evolving at a slow pace.

Addressing the challenges of cyber politics requires effective governance of the internet landscape and a comprehensive international effort with shared responsibility. This effort must involve the entire ecosystem of actors, players, and suppliers within the cyber domain. In this ever-expanding space, nearly every aspect of real life is increasingly intertwined with the virtual world.

Cyber politics is no longer a peripheral issue; it has become central to the future of governance, security, and international cooperation. As cyberspace continues to expand its reach, it demands new ways of thinking and acting in global politics, ensuring that it remains a domain of progress and collaboration rather than conflict and division.

The writer is a researcher specializing in cyber politics, holding a PhD on the topic of “Cyberspace and Power Shifts in International Relations.”