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Social Media in International Peace Operations

By Talene BILAZARIAN and Nadia GERSPACHER,

Policing around the world increasingly relies on social media as a tool in daily operations, to
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conduct investigations, manage the reputations of law enforcement, and provide public
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notifications. Social media connectivity is increasing globally which heightens the need for
police to develop strategies to engage with communities online. Now more than ever, social media
is a highly strategic
domain for policing,
especially in
countries affected by
conflict.
Terrorists and rebel
groups use social
media to recruit for
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their causes , often
fomenting inter-
communal tensions
and attempting to
delegitimize
vulnerable state institutions. Negative narratives about the police and perceptions of their abuses
of power are strategically used on social media to intensify grievances and political instability,
heightening the need for police to represent themselves on these platforms with alternative
narratives.
One of the contributions that international peace operations can make is to advance the
professionalization of policing. A key measure of this professionalization is the level of
engagement of the community by the police. Overall, the professionalization of the police requires
that law enforcement have the capacity to establish and maintain partnerships to solve problems
together with their communities. Narratives about policing that highlight how police provide
public protection and use transparency to highlight areas for improvement are an important and
underutilized way to build these community partnerships. Narratives are especially critical for
policing because they provide a response to those who are attempting to delegitimize the police
and to directly address political grievances that motivate violence. Social media is a valuable tool
that can enhance policing capacity to communicate with their communities and disseminate these
narratives online.
This article highlights the importance of developing a robust social media strategy and how social
media can be used for policing in international peace operations. We argue that social media is a
crucial tool that can help police react to immediate security concerns and proactively communicate
with their communities. We close by discussing effective strategies for the management of social
media when conducting international peace operations.

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