Diplomacy and Digital Technology // Janne Taalas
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igital technology has become increasingly important in diplomacy. In order to understand the emergence of the Cyber Diplomacy it is useful to look what drives this transformation. The traditional view regarding foreign policy and technology considers technology as one of the parameters of the state’s international power, like size of population or economy. The rationale is that technology brings economic power and military advantage, for example development of iron, powder and nuclear weapons. This perspective is still relevant for a new digital era, but there are three new reasons which are pushing the issues related to digital technology higher on the international agenda. First, the growth of digital infrastructure has provided unprecedented opportunities to interfere in another state’s affairs without military force. Cyber espionage: hybrid action through social media platforms and outright digital sabotage have become real possibilities for states over the last ten years or so. Such a degree of interference without the use of military force has not been seen before in human history. Further-
Ambassador Janne Taalas has been appointed CEO of CMI Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation The Cyberwatch Finland team warmly congratulates Janne on his appointment
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more, these means could and are increasingly deployed in peacetime not only during armed conflict. Some states have made ample use of the new possibilities: The recent SolarWinds supply chain attack is one of the largest cyber espionage operations ever uncovered. The election meddling during the US elections and Brexit vote have also been well documented. Cyber sabotage has been less prevalent, but there are notable cases in the context of Iran's nuclear program and war in Ukraine. North Korea deserves a special mentioning as the UN reports depict it as a modern day pirate state that raids Bitcoin exchanges that bolster its ailing finances. Another development that has pushed digital technology into the international agenda is the intensification of superpower competition: China has challenged American leadership and is using technological means to contest U.S. military dominance while simultaneously increasing its global heft. Digital technology is both a means of increasing China’s capability and a field to challenge the USA. This has brought about an intensifying struggle for the ability to define and manage the international digital infrastructure and its use
