Strategy for Implementing “Cancel Culture” in Contemporary Hybrid Conflicts

In the 21st century, “cancel culture” has become embedded in the strategy of conducting hybrid confrontations, in which reputational risks amplify and often prevent the use of military measures or economic pressure and seriously complicate conflict resolution. In hybrid conflicts, the boundaries between military, economic and information operations are blurred, and campaigns to delegitimize the enemy’s elites, brands and cultural symbols become a “preemptive strike”: they undermine morale, limit external support and increase costs for intermediary companies even before formal sanctions are introduced or forceful actions begin. The ubiquity of social media makes such tactics relatively accessible and difficult to reverse. The longer a conflict remains in the media sphere, the more firmly the image of “right” and “guilty” is fixed, and the space for compromise narrows. States have to take into account new variables: the speed of information dissemination, the role of opinion leaders and the potential “domino effect” on other areas of interaction. In this article, using the examples of the Arab-Israeli and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts, the authors analyze mechanisms for delegitimizing an adversary using diasporas, non-governmental organizations, cultural diplomacy, and economic boycotts. They identify criteria for assessing the use of “cancel culture” in international conflicts and analyze how the use of this tool reduces the manageability of conflicts and undermines the possibility of their resolution, making any peace initiatives inherently vulnerable. The article also provides criteria for an effective strategy for countering hybrid conflicts, which involves a combination of proactive digital diplomacy and open information exchange.