Mobile phones in war and conflict | Remarkable mobiles series
Published Date 2022-06-27
Written by Circles.Life

Mobile phones in war and conflict.
While mobiles are often associated with wasted time on social media and cat memes, around the world mobiles are used in remarkable ways and are shaping history and the political landscape. In this series of posts we’ll look at the remarkable ways mobiles are changing society.
On 25 January 2011 hundreds of thousands of protesters started to gather in Tahrir Square and planted the seeds of unrest which, days later, finally unseated the incumbent president, Hosni Mubarak, after 30 years of power.
Almost a year after Tunisia had erupted in mass demonstrations, the central Cairo protests triggered further waves of change across the Middle East and North Africa, in what became known as the Arab Spring.
But while the nature of each pro-democracy uprising, and their ultimate success, varied wildly from country to country, they had one defining characteristic in common: use of social media on mobile phones.
And while none of these conflicts happened because of mobile phones or social media, they were enabled by it.
Fast forward to Putin’s war on Ukraine, and mobile phones are being used again in surprising ways. From documenting human rights abuses to crowd sourced espionage, through to locating targets and as the console to control drones. In his article ‘How mobile phones are changing war in Ukraine’, author Sascha Brodsky notes;
“The outcome of the conflict in Ukraine may ultimately rely on which side wins the information war and that, in large part, will be waged over mobile phones. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has won billions of dollars in aid for his country through the skillful use of appeals on television and internet appearances.”
In addition to the information war, mobile phones are also playing a very practical purpose and have been used in military tasks from mapping minefields or wire-tapping the enemy or even targeting the artillery fire.
Of course, Ukrainian soldiers were already using mobile phones to communicate with their families, commanders and fellow soldiers. Then they became an instrument of war too.

Switch to Australia’s Most Trusted Mobile Plan Provider
Offer ends in
00
day
00
hr
00
min
00
sec
10GB
$20.00
Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
No-lock in contracts
Unlimited calls and text
International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**
30GB
$30.00
$25.00
For 6 months*
Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
No-lock in contracts
Unlimited calls and text
International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**
50GB
60GB
$40.00
$35.00
For 6 months*
Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
No-lock in contracts
Unlimited calls and text
International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**
100GB
$50.00
$40.00
For 6 months*
Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
No-lock in contracts
Unlimited calls and text
International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**
250GB
$70.00
$65.00
For 6 months*
Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
No-lock in contracts
Unlimited calls and text
International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**
*Offer ends 16/08/2024. All for use in Australia. Personal use only and not a broadband replacement. Plans auto renew every month. Roll over your unused base data monthly and build up to a massive 500GB. Data will not expire while plan remains the same, but may be lost if plan is upgraded or downgraded. On selected plans only. T&Cs apply, refer to our Critical Information Summaries and General Terms.
**Additional charges and T&Cs apply for International Roaming and International Dialing.

Switch to Australia’s Most Trusted Mobile Plan Provider
Offer ends in
00
day
00
hr
00
min
00
sec
*Offer ends 16/08/2024. All for use in Australia. Personal use only and not a broadband replacement. Plans auto renew every month. Roll over your unused base data monthly and build up to a massive 500GB. Data will not expire while plan remains the same, but may be lost if plan is upgraded or downgraded. On selected plans only. T&Cs apply, refer to our Critical Information Summaries and General Terms.
**Additional charges and T&Cs apply for International Roaming and International Dialing.
Share
RECOMMENDED
What to look out for in a student mobile plan
Roam with a little piece of home. Whether for business or leisure, being able to make calls, send texts, and access the internet while abroad is crucial.

Want more?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get notifications when there’s more to read!
We are Circles.Life
Acknowledgement of Country | Circles.Life acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land where we work and live. We celebrate stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.
Acknowledgement of Country | Circles.Life acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land where we work and live. We celebrate stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.
About Circles.Life
Media Centre
Network and Coverage
Customer Exclusives
Blog
Mobile Network Coverage
Customer Support
Contact
Outage Checker
Circles Mobile App
FAQs
Report a Security Issue
How Circles Work
3G Network Switch Off
Payment Assistance Policy
Privacy & Legal
Critical Information Summaries
Promotional T&Cs
Privacy Policy
© 2022 Circles.Life Australia
383 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
