The Oxford Handbook of Digital Diplomacy

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, digital technologies have substantially impacted the world of diplomacy. From social media platforms and artificial intelligence to smartphone applications and virtual meetings, digital technologies have proven disruptive, impacting the norms, practices, and logics of diplomats, states, and international organisations. Although the term digital diplomacy is commonly used by academics and diplomats, few works to date have clearly defined this term or offered a comprehensive analysis of its evolution. This handbook investigates digital diplomacy as a practice, as a process, and as a form of disruption. Written by leading experts in the field, the volume examines the ways in which digital technologies are being used to achieve foreign policy goals, and how diplomats are adapting to the digital age. The handbook investigates the shifting power dynamics in diplomacy, exploring the challenges faced by foreign affairs departments in adapting to digital technologies, the application of digital tools as a means of exerting influence, and the dynamic evolution of diplomats' interactions with tech companies. Drawing on insights from various fields such as international relations, diplomatic studies, communications, sociology, internet studies, and psychology, the handbook also examines the use of digital technologies for international development in the Global South, the efforts to combat digital disinformation in the Middle East, and the digital strategies of countries in Europe and in the Asia-Pacific region. Through case studies and in-depth analysis, readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the multiple ways in which diplomacy has been impacted and transformed by digital technologies.