[Air-L] 2 NEW PUBLICATIONS: Hacking, Conspiracy Theories and Free Speech

[Dr. Emma Briant]

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you are all keeping well and looking forward to the break. I am just
writing to share news of two new publications from me, both on the role of
hacking in silencing journalism and spreading false narratives.

Hacking is far more than just a security issue. It chills free speech. And
increasingly it’s impacting journalists, NGO’s, even academics like me. I
learned this too well last year when I found myself in the middle of a
‘deep state’ conspiracy theory after after my efforts to inform journalism
on disinformation spreading during the Bucha massacre were hacked by
Russian intelligence. Suddenly, not only did a foreign intelligence
operation have our emails, but I was the focus of the falsehoods I was
seeing spread across the internet. Now the Russian hackers behind these
attacks have been sanctioned by the UK and US governments and the US State
Department has offered a reward of $10M for information on them. Hacking of
journalism has serious consequences, I have written about the implications
of this and what should be done.

You can read the full - and extraordinary - story in my article this week
for Index on Censorship: 'Hacking is far more than a security issue. It
chills free speech
<https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2023/12/hacking-is-far-more-than-a-security-issue-it-chills-free-speech/>'.
Drawing on my own experience, I reflect on the role played by these Russian
hackers in silencing authoritarianism’s critics and the role this plays in
feeding a crisis of distrust and closing down freedom of expression.

I also have a scholarly book chapter which examines the subject of hacking
more generally in relation to journalism and policy. “Hack Attacks: How
Cyber Intimidation and Conspiracy Theories Drive the Spiral of ‘Secrecy
Hacking’” in Routledge Companion on Freedom of Expression and Censorship
<https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Freedom-of-Expression-and-Censorship/Steel-Petley/p/book/9780367205348>,
which
you can order now, the collection is edited by Julian Petley and John Steel.

Thank you for taking the time to read these and please consider sharing
through your usual channels. I appreciate all your support and interest.

Warmly,
Emma

-- 
Dr Emma L Briant

Owner: Maven of Persuasion LLC
Associate Professor at Monash University
Fellow at Bard College, Human Rights Project
Associate at University of Cambridge, Center for Financial Reporting &
Accountability
Speaking agent: Chartwell Speakers
<https://www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/emma-briant/>
Book agent: Inkwell Management <https://inkwellmanagement.com/>
Author of: *Propaganda and Counter-Terrorism: Strategies for Global
Change *from
Manchester University Press
Co-Author of: *Bad News for Refugees* with Prof. Greg Philo and Dr. Pauline
Donald from Pluto Press.

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