Be Safe or Be Seen? How Russian Activists Negotiate Visibility and Security in Online Resistance Practices
Be Safe or Be Seen? How Russian Activists Negotiate Visibility and Security in Online Resistance Practices
复制标题
是安全还是被看见？
作者：
T. Lokot
这篇文章考察了俄罗斯反对派活动人士如何谈判在线可见性--他们自己以及他们的信息和运动的可见性--以及国家为了恢复对在线言论空间的控制而诉诸的无处不在的数字监控带来的安全担忧。通过研究阿列克谢·纳瓦尔尼的反腐败基金会(FBK)成员和其他反对派活动人士在互联网上的存在和活动，该文件追踪了这些活动人士在网上从事的日常安全做法与他们在俄罗斯互联网上自由和公开交换信息变得越来越困难的环境下制定的抵抗策略和剧目之间的联系。分析发现，俄罗斯反对派活动人士高度重视数字、媒体和安全素养，使用安全工具和协议(如VPN、两阶段身份验证和加密消息传递)浏览互联网越来越被视为那些参与俄罗斯有组织异见人士的默认操作方式，以减轻日益增长的国家监控。此外，分析显示，俄罗斯活动人士必须在安全需求和日益增长的可见度之间取得平衡--这是进入主流政治和社会话语的关键因素。在近乎持续的国家监控环境中，安全和可见之间的紧张关系成为抵抗做法的一个关键方面，活动人士同时管理他们在网上的安全和可见度，以将政府间谍活动构成的风险降至最低，并使他们的异议产生最大影响。
This paper examines how Russian opposition activists negotiate online visibility—their own and that of their messages and campaigns—and the security concerns brought on by the pervasive digital surveillance that the state resorts to in order to reinstate its control over the online discursive space. By examining the internet-based presence and activity of the members of Alexey Navalny’s FBK (Anti-Corruption Foundation) and other opposition activists, the paper traces connections between everyday security practices that these activists engage in online and the resistance tactics and repertoires they enact in an environment where the free and open exchange of information on the Russian internet is becoming increasingly difficult. The analysis finds that Russian opposition activists place a high value on digital, media, and security literacy and that navigating the internet using security tools and protocols such as VPN, two-phase authentication, and encrypted messaging is increasingly seen as the default modus operandi for those participating in organised dissent in Russia to mitigate growing state surveillance. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that Russian activists have to balance the need for security with growing visibility—a key factor for entering the mainstream political and social discourse. The tension between being secure and being visible emerges as a key aspect of resistance practices in an environment of near-constant state surveillance, as activists concurrently manage their safety and visibility online to minimise the risks posed by government spying and maximise the effect of their dissent.