Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are not anymore a new phenomenon, they are part of day-to-day life. Legal discussion over ICTs, however, is still, ongoing, despite a wide
consensus on the applicability of international law to cyberspace. How international law applies to ICTs is still a matter of discussion by States, as disagreements and uncertainties have not been overcome yet.
In the international discussion on how international law applies to cyberspace, two fronts have emerged that are often described as ‘the West and the Rest’. The first includes North-American and European countries which share common and rather coherent understanding of the key issues of international law applicable to cyber operations. The other category is broader and more diverse. Yet, in the legal discourse, the non-Western countries are often addressed in an over-simplifying manner that fails to consider the nuances between the opposing interpretations and legal positions.
Thus, this book aims to bring together perspective of Non-Western States and international organizations, in order to analyse and bring forward the different approaches to international law and
cyberspace from a comparative perspective. With reference to the domestic legal framework of the States’ concern, the main purpose of this book is to provide sound analyses of domestic regulatory framework on cyber operations, as well as insights into oversight on surveillance technologies. With reference to the international organizations concern, instead, the main purpose of
this book is to illustrate the how those international organizations are contributing to the ongoing discussion on how international law applies to cyberspace.
This book is a joint project between the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) and the Società Italiana per l’Organizzazione Internazionale (SIOI).