New Frontiers of Influence Operations in Southeast Asia: Public Participation, Platform (Non‐)Governance, and Geopolitics

ABSTRACT

In Southeast Asia, propaganda has historically been part and parcel of governance, prompting authoritarian controls while also entrenching oligarchic dominance. But the relationship between propagandists and propaganda audiences is far from top‐down; the public, at times, endorses and actively participates in state‐orchestrated campaigns. The question to be asked is why. What are the conditions driving public reception of propaganda? What sustains their infrastructure despite changing contexts? How has the advent of digital technologies changed the patterns of influence operations? Featuring emerging Southeast Asian scholars across diverse disciplines, including communications, political science, and economics, this special issue addresses these questions beyond simply identifying the actors and tactics of manipulation. Seven articles focus on four Southeast Asian countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines—representing a vibrant information ecosystem, a major tech market, and a geopolitical hotspot, while situating the region in the global context of rapid technological change. Most importantly, this special issue advances ways in which we can collectively address these emerging challenges to information integrity.