The language of diplomacy has never been static. It has evolved with changes in political systems, technological innovation and society, acquiring new terms as new forms of statecraft and communication emerged. The telegraph accelerated diplomatic communication; radio and television brought diplomacy into the homes of mass audiences; the internet made diplomatic information instantly accessible. Social media has taken this evolution a step further, introducing a vocabulary shaped by the speed, openness and contestation of the digital information environment. Some of these terms are new, while others are older words that have acquired new meanings as diplomacy has become increasingly immediate, public and contested. Here are 20 terms that have emerged, evolved or gained new prominence in the vocabulary of diplomacy in the social media age.

1. Amplify

On social media, saying something is only the beginning. Governments increasingly seek to amplify particular messages by reposting, endorsing, and coordinating their circulation. The word has become especially important in discussions of online influence.

2. Bot

An automated account or software system capable of performing online actions at scale. Bots can post, repost, like or share content repeatedly, creating artificial visibility and making a message appear more popular than it actually is.

3. Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour (CIB)

A term popularised by social-media platforms to describe organised activity using deceptive identities or networks to manipulate public debate. It has become part of the wider vocabulary surrounding foreign influence and online information operations.

4. Counter-Narrative

Diplomacy increasingly involves not only presenting a government’s position but challenging competing interpretations. A counter-narrative offers an alternative framing of events intended to contest an opponent’s version and shape how international audiences understand an issue.

5. Debunk

To debunk is to expose a false or misleading claim by presenting evidence that contradicts it. Social media has made debunking a more immediate diplomatic activity, allowing governments to challenge claims directly and publicly.

6. Deepfake

Synthetic or manipulated audio, video or imagery designed to make people appear to say or do things they never did. For diplomacy, deepfakes pose a particular danger during crises, when fabricated material can spread before it is authenticated.

7. Disinformation

False or misleading information deliberately created or circulated to deceive or manipulate. It has become a major diplomatic and security concern as states confront organised campaigns aimed at influencing foreign publics.

8. Fact-Check

Once primarily associated with journalism, fact-checking has become an official diplomatic function. Foreign ministries increasingly verify claims, images and statements circulating online and publish corrections directly through their own digital channels.

9. Fake News

The phrase became ubiquitous with the rise of social media, particularly in political and diplomatic discourse. Although criticised for its vagueness, it remains widely used to describe fabricated or misleading reports and narratives.

10. Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)

A relatively new policy term describing manipulative or interfering activity by foreign actors intended to influence an information environment. It has gained prominence particularly in European diplomatic and security discussions.

11. Influence Operation

A coordinated effort to shape what an audience thinks, feels or does for a political or strategic purpose. Such operations can involve governments, anonymous accounts, bots, media organisations or other actors across multiple platforms.

12. Information Integrity

A broader concept than simply determining whether individual claims are true or false, information integrity concerns the health of the wider information environment. The term has increasingly entered the vocabulary of international organisations and governments.

13. Information Manipulation

Information manipulation encompasses efforts to distort public understanding through misleading framing, selective information, manipulated media or artificial amplification. It reflects a recognition that influence does not always require completely fabricated information.

14. Information Operations

An organised effort to use information to influence perceptions, attitudes or behaviour in pursuit of strategic objectives. The term places online activity within a broader framework of statecraft, security and geopolitical competition.

15. Malinformation

Unlike misinformation and disinformation, malinformation generally involves genuine information used in a harmful or misleading context. Selective disclosure, manipulated context and the malicious use of private or authentic material can all fall under the term.

16. Misinformation

False or inaccurate information shared without an apparent intention to deceive. Governments increasingly distinguish it from deliberate disinformation, making the distinction part of the vocabulary of contemporary information policy.

17. Prebunk

If debunking happens after false information spreads, prebunking happens before. It involves warning audiences about misleading narratives or manipulation techniques in advance, making it an increasingly important tool for building resilience against disinformation.

18. Troll Farm

An organised operation involving people, and sometimes automated systems, that produces provocative or manipulative online content while concealing its origins. The term is now commonly associated with organised influence campaigns.

19. Twiplomacy

A blend of “Twitter” and “diplomacy”, the term emerged to describe governments and diplomats using Twitter for foreign-policy communication. It captured an important transition: diplomatic messages could now reach foreign publics directly, bypassing traditional media intermediaries.

20. Verification

Verification is not new, but social media has made it indispensable. Before governments share an image, video, quotation or breaking claim, they must establish its authenticity, origin and context, particularly during conflicts and crises.

The new diplomatic lexicon reflects a fundamental change in statecraft. Diplomats are no longer concerned only with what to say, but also with what is true, how information spreads, who amplifies it and who may be manipulating it. In the social media age, the battle over information has become part of the practice of diplomacy itself.