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MINI REVIEW article
Front. Hum. Dyn.
Sec. Dynamics of Migration and (Im)Mobility
Volume 6 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fhumd.2024.1465594
Protecting civilians in a data-driven and digitalized battlespace: Towards a minimum basic technology infrastructure
Provisionally accepted- Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada
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This article examines the realities of modern day warfare, including a rising trend in hybrid threats and irregular warfare which employ emerging technologies supported by digital and data-driven processes. The way in which these technologies become applied generates a widened battlefield and leads to a greater number of civilians being caught up in conflict. Humanitarian groups mandated to protect civilians have adapted their approaches to the use of new emerging technologies. However, the lack of international consensus on the use of data, the public and private nature of the actors involved in conflict, the transnational aspects of the widened battlefield, and the heightened security risks in the conflict space pose enormous challenges for the protection of civilians agenda. Based on the dual-usage aspect of emerging technologies, the challenges associated with regulation and the need for those affected by conflict to demonstrate resilience towards, and knowledge of, digital media literacy, this paper proposes the development of guidance for a "minimum basic technology infrastructure" which is supported by technology, regulation, and public awareness and education. .
Keywords: humanitarian assistance, Emerging Technologies, conflict, protection of civilians, basic technology infrastructure, Humanitarian Agencies, irregular warfare, digital and data-drive technologies
Received: 16 Jul 2024; Accepted: 18 Dec 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Fitz-Gerald and Hennebry. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ann Fitz-Gerald, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada
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