IHL and the Growing involvement of Civilians in Cyber Operations and Other Digital Activities During Armed Conflict

With the rapid digitalization of our world and the way in which wars are fought, the involvement of civilians in armed conflicts can take new forms, become easier for civilians, and the related risks reach a new scale. As part of a joint initiative, entitled ‘Digitalization of Conflict: Humanitarian Impact and Legal Protection’, by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Swiss Chair of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, conducted an in-depth research and consulted experts, including in an experts' meeting hosted in Geneva, in an effort to explore and clarify how IHL addresses the involvement of civilians in cyber and other digital activities during armed conflicts, with a view to limiting the human cost of this worrying trend.
This report concludes that conducting cyber and other digital activities in the context of armed conflicts exposes civilians to a significant risk of harm. It discusses specific legal questions that arise as a result of such activities and presents how respect for IHL can play an important role in avoiding or minimizing those risks. The report focuses on the activities of individuals, hacker groups, and private technology companies.