Author: Akhmedov Sardorbek

1. The spread of information and its influence on
state security and development
AKHMEDOV SARDORBEK
4012R301-7
SUPERVISOR: PROF. MITOMO HITOSHI

2. Key Words:
 Information
 information space
 Manipulation: disinformation, Psychological Operations
(PSYOP)
 mass media
 information communication technologies
 information warfare
 social media
 information influence
 state security

3.  The subject of the research – security of state from
information threats in the light of the expansion of
information communication technologies.
 The object – situation in Uzbekistan concerning
information influence conducted through advanced
channels of communication.
 Target – negative information influence through
internet (a manipulative effect on an individual
consciousness and emotions, on group and mass
consciousness as a tool of psychological pressure
conducted by open or hidden motivations of individual
and social actors in order to act against own interests of
individuals involved in these effects).

4. Problem
 The possibility of information influence by
manipulating over information concerning the
situation in Uzbekistan, its domestic and foreign
policy by other states, non-state actors, individual
groups (politically motivated actors) in order to
influence the behaviour of government, population,
to destruct positive image of the country, and thus
damage overall national interests.

5. Main tasks of the research
 - to study theoretic approaches towards information
influence, identify its forms and main mechanisms of
implication;
 - to analyze peculiarities of the information space of
Uzbekistan and evaluate the risks ;
 - to identify effective measures that help respond or
prevent possible negative information influence.

6. Contents
 Introduction
 Chapter I. Theoretical approaches on the study of the
topic
 Chapter II. The information space of Uzbekistan
 Chapter II.1. The information space of Uzbekistan and
the forms of information influence;
 Chapter II.2. Evaluation of measures to deal with
negative information influence towards Uzbekistan.
 Conclusion.
 Appendixes.
 Bibliography.

7. Theoretical approaches
 Nontraditional threats to security:
 Change from traditional relations among countries due to the
emergence of non-state actors such as NGOs, multinational
corporations, as well as increase of various channels of
interaction. Famous American scholars Robert O.Keohane
and Joseph S.Nye elaborated the theory of Complex
Interdependence, according to which state to state relations
are not the only dominating factors in international relations
taking into account the existence of people to people contacts.
“To improve their chances of success, government agencies
attempt to bring actors from other governments into their
own decision making processes as allies... the United States
have used such coalitions to penetrate weaker governments in
such countries such as Turkey and Chile ” (Robert O.Keohane
and Joseph S.Nye. Power and Interdependence,1997).)

8. Fragmegration of power
 Another representative of neoliberal school of IR
theory James N. Rosenau uses a term “the age of
fragmegration” to refer to recent trends. He implies
that information is becoming “ever more relevant to
the conduct of public affairs, so has knowledge
become an ever more important source of power.
Indeed, the ability of states to influence each other
through the exercise of military capabilities has been
increasingly superseded by their ability to use
information as a means of prevailing in conflict
situations”.

9. A futurist vision
 A futurist Alvin Toffler describes the development of
civilizations as waves in a book “The Third Wave”,
according to which first wave is called Agricultural
Civilization; second – Industrial Wave which began
in the 18th century; and the third one – Information
Society that is connected with information explosion
due to the invention of new information technologies
(A.Toffler. The Third Wave, 1980).

10. The issue of information influence
 Most of the countries in the world are eager to utilize information
communication technologies in order to enforce sustainable
economic development, to better integrate world community.
However as an everlasting paradox on social liberties and social
security exists, we should also think about negative consequences of
these processes.
 Joseph S. Nye elaborated the concept of Soft Power that means
getting others to want the outcomes that you want without coercion
(co-opts people rather than coerces them) (Joseph S. Nye Jr. Soft
Power. The Means to Success in World Politics, 2004.)
 Another IR theorist Hans J. Morgenthau assumes that “cultural
imperialism” is the most successful means of imperialistic policies
that aims not at the conquest of territory or the control of economic
life, but of the minds of men as an instrument for changing the
power relations between two countries (Hans J. Morgenthau.
Politics Among Nations. The Struggle for Power and Peace, 1948).

11. Forms of information influence
 Rapid development of Internet throughout the world
make the information space more vulnerable.
Recently after the so called “Arab spring” events
there have been debates over the impact of social
media on these conflicts. Among the main topics of
discussion are the complexity of data provision and
its interpretation, balance between anonymity and
reliability, the relevancy of social interaction to
peacetime or conflict situations.

12. Forms of information influence
 Specific forms of information influence are mostly
discussed in the following works of Western researchers:
 - Monroe P. (Media & Sovereignty.//Cambridge: MIT
Press, 2002);
 - Royce A. (Global Television & the Shaping of World
Politics.//Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2001);
 - Gilboa E. (The Global News Networks & U.S.
Policymaking in Defence & Foreign Affairs. - Harvard:
Harvard University, 2002);
 - Wilson D. (Digital Diplomacy: U.S. Foreign Policy in
the Information Age. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2001).

13. Information space of Uzbekistan and the threats of
information influence
 In contemporary world of globalization and rapid
development of information communication
technologies that is thoroughly dependent on speed
and quality of information it is a an important task to
create an objective image of the country abroad and
at the same time protect national interests from
negative information influence.
 One of the important points is provision of sufficient
information in order to avoid information vacuum
that can be an easy target to influence.

14. Information space of Uzbekistan
 During the recent years comprehensive legal and
organizational measures have been implemented to develop
means of distribution of information in Uzbekistan, to ensure
freedom of speech, the liberalization of the information
sphere.
 A number of normative acts were accepted in Uzbekistan in
the sphere of information. “Law on Publishing Activities”
(1996), “Law on Mass Media” (1997), “On Principles and
Guaranties of the Freedom of Information” (2002), “On
Copyright and Neighbouring Rights” (2006) and etc. These
legislative acts mainly regulate receiving, distributing, saving
information, access to foreign information nets, as well as
forming state information resources and system and
guarantee individual rights for information.

15. Development of internet
 The number of Internet users in Uzbekistan in the
first quarter of 2012 reached 9.1 million (about 30%
of population). This is 21.3% more than in the first
quarter of previous year, (7.5 million people). 5.2
million people are users of mobile internet (an
increase - 24.2%). As to the end of March 2012 total
speed (bandwidth) access has reached 5145 Mbit/s
(in the last year - 4850 Mbit/s). Number of providers
and operators of Internet services and data networks
in the first quarter amounted to 936, the number of
access points to the Internet - 1050.

16. Internet sites
in native
language
According to statistics
(2012/11/14/) total active
names in the national
domain UZ. zone is 15569,
with the growth of 16.0%
in comparison with the
last year.
These figures show that
the speed of the
utilization of Internet in
Uzbekistan is increasing
that enlarges information
space as well.
Among the notable points
is the increase of national
domains most of which
distribute information in
native, Russian or
English languages.

17. Bibliography
 1. Hans J. Morgenthau Politics Among Nations. The Struggle for Power and Peace. //Second
Edition, Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 1955. (Copyright 1993 by McGrow-Hill)
 2. Joseph S. Nye Jr. The Paradox of American Power: Why the World’s Only Superpower Can’t
Go It Alone //Oxford University Press, 2002.
 3. Joseph S. Nye Jr. Soft Power. The Means to Success in World Politics. New York, Public
Affairs, 2004.
 3. Taylor P. War and the Media. Propaganda and Persuasion in the Gulf War. //New York. 1992.
 4. Royce A. Global Television & the Shaping of World Politics. – Jefferson: McFarland &
Company, Inc., 2001.
 5. Robert O.Keohane and Joseph S.Nye. Power and Interdependence: World politics in
Transition. (Little, Brown and Company (Inc) 1997).
 6. James N. Rosenau. States, Sovereignty, and Diplomacy in The Information Age, 1998.
 7. Monroe P. Media & Sovereignty. - Cambridge: MIT Press, 2002.
 8. Royce A. Global Television & the Shaping of World Politics. - Jefferson: McFarland &
Company, Inc., 2001.
 9. Wilson D. Digital Diplomacy: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Information Age. Westport, CT:
Praeger, 2001.
 10. Gilboa E. The Global News Networks & U.S. Policymaking in Defense & Foreign Affairs. -
Harvard: Harvard University, 2002