Data & Politics: Hybrid Warfare, Manipulation, and Legalities

Prof. Dr. Volker Wittpahl is an innovation strategist whose career spans advanced semiconductor research, industry, and design-driven technology development. After roles in power microelectronics and Philips Design’s internal think tank, he became a driving force behind numerous innovation projects and technology-based start-ups. Since 2016, he has led the Institute for Innovation and Technology (iit) in Berlin and serves as a professor at Klaipeda University.

Humanotions: What exactly happens to our data when we are using AI and social media?

Volker Wittpahl: So, when you ask this question, you assume that we are using services on the internet. Most of these services are owned by American companies, and they are under the laws of the American government. So mainly they use our shared data and content for economic purposes, and by law they have to give it straight to the services of the US government that is requesting these data.

Humanotions: And what do these companies do with our data?

Volker Wittpahl: So mainly the companies use the data to make more profits, to place ads, or to nudge you into making a buying decision, also an election decision, but that depends on the clients of these big companies. So mainly it's a kind of marketing or, badly said, manipulation of individuals. And what is the government doing with these data? Well, they use this data by law for surveillance purposes, not on their own citizens but on foreigners framed under “National Security” activities. So, everybody who has data on an American internet company is somehow under surveillance.

Humanotions: Has there been a prominent example of the use or even misuse of this data by governments, for instance?

Volker Wittpahl: If you are looking for examples, just read the interviews of Edward Snowden. If you think about a current example, remember what happened to Karim Ahmad Khan this year (see Associated Press, 2025). Khan is a chief prosecutor from the International Court of Justice. His Outlook account and also his financial account were closed because Trump said that they had to be closed. So, the government has decided that the Microsoft service that Mr. Khan has used needs to be closed. This is an example where you see that politicians made decisions that also affect people’s personal lives and the customers of digital services of international Tech Companies.

Humanotions: Can we say that this data is instrumentalized? 

Volker Wittpahl: Definitely. Many economists say data is the oil of the 21st century. Any data you give for free to other people will be used somehow.

Humanotions: Does this also apply to elections?

Volker Wittpahl: Of course. Maybe you remember the Cambridge Analytica scandal with Facebook data. This was the first huge incident where we gained the awareness of that. Social media is one of the strategic tools, if you like, that are used or misused to manipulate, or let's say more neutral to influence elections.

Humanotions: And in what ways does that work?

Volker Wittpahl: Manipulation was and still is done on other media in the past. But the difference by social media and also by AI Chat-Bot services is that you can now target an individual on a personal level. And that makes these services more powerful than the traditional instruments for communication in the past. If I can target a person to change his or her opinion, then I have a huge, powerful instrument. Researchers have shown last year that by using AI, you can change the belief of conspiracy believers so that they no longer believe them. 

So, if that algorithm can bring you into a conspiracy theory belief and also bring you out of this belief, then the systems are able to bring you in any kind of belief I want you to bring in.

Humanotions: Does this also affect hybrid warfare? And what are the consequences of the use of data by governments for hybrid warfare?

Volker Wittpahl: From my point of view, it's a tool for hybrid warfare. And it is a tool that most politicians do not currently consider a weapon. The manipulation of masses or of communities is basically the result. And by the use of the development of AI, this influence becomes even more precise and accurate. So, if we think ahead, then this kind of influence will steer you in exactly the position or action that the politician expects from you on a personal level in the near term. If you take it to a very high level, then the question is how we can still guarantee freedom of free will even when we use digitalization? What we have to ask ourselves is, are we still able to keep freedom within digitalization, also for our free will? Otherwise, we won't have free elections anymore, even if we call our system a democracy. But if we are manipulated by these digital systems, then there is no democracy anymore. Then it's a kind of manipulated system.

A brightly coloured office populated with all kinds of people working at connected desks. There are computer screens and networks in the air in clouds. The image shows the connectivity of a digitally transformed workplace. It was drawn and painted using guache and pencil. Jamillah Knowles & Digit / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Humanotions: Can one say that we shouldn't vote if we are using social media because it influences us too much?

Volker Wittpahl: If I had a wish for Christmas, I would say if we had a kind of driving license for any smartphone and for every internet service for every citizen, no matter what age, then we wouldn't have this problem. But we will never get this license like a driving license for a car.

Humanotions: What can the EU or governments do to create a framework to protect our data and the use of digital media?

Volker Wittpahl: Well, basically, the European Union has some good frameworks, but the weakness is the implementation. A lot of the laws that we have, or regulations by the European Union, are really focusing on freedom, on the consumer, on democracy, but the implementation by national governments, by companies, is done in ways that make these goals become unreachable. It’s a question of implementation. On the other hand, the user of digital infrastructure, meaning you, me, and all other citizens, has the freedom of choice of what to use. The point is that because of the lobbying of the big tech companies, people think they have no other choice. But there are some choices also driven by so-called open source. Open source is a way and a strategy to avoid this kind of influence and dependency on big tech. But it has no lobby in Brussels. That's the problem. The lobbyists and the money of the big tech are much more influential among people and in money. So that's the reason why we don't have well-working alternative solutions in Europe.

Humanotions: In your ideal world, how do you imagine the European media landscape or media protection to be like?

Volker Wittpahl: The foundation should be an informed citizen, like we have had in the period of Immanuel Kant, that we all become self-dependent, that we have awareness, and that we have our own will, our own choice, and the freedom of this. And with the awareness and the freedom, we can use and create structures together that are more democratic, freer, and also, more peaceful. And if you think about AI and algorithms at the moment, the algorithm tries to increase your emotions and your anger. But you can also think that the algorithms and AI can push you to become more curious, that you try to get new skills, and that you explore something creatively. So, it's a question of how you use the control measures of the systems to nudge the people in another direction. And if the nudging is in a more tolerant, more open, more free way, then we could create a better and maybe also more democratic digital sphere for European citizens.

Reference

1. Associated Press. (2025, May 15). Trump’s sanctions on ICC prosecutor have halted tribunal’s work. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/icc-trump-sanctions-karim-khan-court-a4b4c02751ab84c09718b1b95cbd5db3 https://apnews.com/article/icc-trump-sanctions-karim-khan-court-a4b4c02751ab84c09718b1b95cbd5db3

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed herein belong solely to the columnist and do not represent the official position of our think-tank. Humanotions cannot be held liable for any consequences arising from this content. Content published on Humanotions may contain links to third-party sources. Humanotions is not responsible for the content of these external links. Please refer to our Legal Notices & Policies page for legal details and our Guidelines For Republishing page for republication terms.