ANALYSIS OF DESTRUCTIVE INFORMATION NARRATIVES IN THE DIGITAL SPACE AS A COMPONENT OF CRIMINAL ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION THREATS

Abstract

The article examines destructive information narratives in the digital space as an independent object of criminal analysis of information threats. It is substantiated that under the conditions of the digitalization of social relations, the growing role of platform-based communications, and the transformation of contemporary security challenges, the information space acquires the characteristics of an environment in which systemic manipulative influences, disinformation campaigns, and information-psychological operations are implemented. These phenomena are capable of affecting the state of public security, the level of trust in state institutions, and the stability of social processes. It is determined that a destructive information narrative should be considered not only as a communicative or propagandistic phenomenon but also as an analytical category characterized by semantic integrity, recurrence, adaptability to the current information agenda, multichannel dissemination, and the potential to generate negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects. Such an approach enables the integration of the study of destructive narratives into the system of criminal analysis aimed at identifying patterns, trends, sources, mechanisms of dissemination, and the risk-related consequences of informational influence. The theoretical and methodological foundation of this approach is the concept of Intelligence-Led Policing, which implies a proactive, preventive, and risk-oriented model of law enforcement activity based on the use of analytical intelligence, reliable data, and analytical products to support managerial decision-making. Based on the analysis of analytical materials, it has been established that several key groups of destructive information narratives systematically function within the digital space. These include narratives aimed at discrediting public administration, destabilizing the information environment through the dissemination of fear and uncertainty, undermining Ukraine’s international subjectivity, manipulating mobilization and security-related topics, as well as technologically enhanced narratives involving AI-generated content. It is demonstrated that these narratives possess a structured nature, are characterized by recurrence, network replicability, and a high potential to influence the information environment and public sentiment. It is substantiated that the criminal analysis of destructive information narratives should be conducted through the application of a set of complementary analytical methods, including content analysis, information flow analysis, OSINT analysis, social network analysis, as well as temporal and risk-oriented analysis. The use of such an analytical toolkit makes it possible not only to record the content of individual information messages but also to identify patterns in narrative dissemination, their network connections, the temporal dynamics of their activation, and potential risks to the security environment. It is concluded that destructive information narratives in the digital space should be considered a full-fledged object of criminal analysis of information threats. Their systematic identification, structuring, classification, and analytical assessment constitute an important prerequisite for enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement activities in the field of prevention and counteraction to contemporary information threats.