Papers by Dr. William Letrone
Journal of International Cooperation Studies , 2022
Cyberspace has made our world smaller. But the resulting state of
interconnectivity has come at ... more Cyberspace has made our world smaller. But the resulting state of
interconnectivity has come at a price; a greater vulnerability to foreign influences and interferences. Online disinformation is one inappropriate influence tool that can be used by foreign actors to undermine a state. The problem is that lasting legal uncertainties call into question the very capacity of international law to address stateled disinformation, and thus to provide adequate protection against foreign influence activities that may prove particularly detrimental to the receiving state. Then, as a
growing number of states has been legislating about foreign influence activities relying on information manipulation tactics, a significant gap has emerged between municipal and international regulations pertaining to international communications. This article explores the relevant law and finds out whether international law is up to the task of regulating state-sponsored online disinformation. In doing so, it clarifies the law and identifies the boundaries of an international regulation of online disinformation. It concludes by suggesting a safe way forwards to help restoring accountability and end impunity in the context of disinformation.
International Cybersecurity Law Review, 2021
This is a review of two monographs on cyber operations and international law. Published in 2020, ... more This is a review of two monographs on cyber operations and international law. Published in 2020, both books discuss state-sponsored cyber operations, legal frameworks with which they could be assessed, as well as legal tools to evaluate the reactions of targeted states. Regarding low-intensity cybersecurity incidents, the two books set up frames of reference very differently. Henning Lahmann's Unilateral Remedies to Cyber Operations almost exclusively focuses on the principle of nonintervention and sets it up narrowly. François Delerue's Cyber Operations and International Law proposes applying the same principle under less strict requirements, and also proposes using territorial sovereignty as an independent assessment tool. While the two books go on to examine more or less the same set of legal tools regarding the reactions of targeted states, because of the initial difference, they offer significantly different views on these tools. Nevertheless, the combined reading of the reviewed books confirms the current state of the debate on cyber operations and international law: despite the general acceptance that international law applies to cyber operations, shared understanding to make the law operational is still lacking.
Talks by Dr. William Letrone
Asian Blog of International Law, 2023
Recently President Putin officially revealed that the Wagner group had been financed by the Russi... more Recently President Putin officially revealed that the Wagner group had been financed by the Russian State. Specifically, he declared having financed the group for around 1bln dollars between May 2022 and May 2023. With more and more details surfacing regarding the extent of the relationship between the Wagner group and the Russian Federation, the connivance between the two actors never looked so obvious. This is an opportunity to revisit the thorny problem of the attribution of private acts to a State under international law.
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Papers by Dr. William Letrone
interconnectivity has come at a price; a greater vulnerability to foreign influences and interferences. Online disinformation is one inappropriate influence tool that can be used by foreign actors to undermine a state. The problem is that lasting legal uncertainties call into question the very capacity of international law to address stateled disinformation, and thus to provide adequate protection against foreign influence activities that may prove particularly detrimental to the receiving state. Then, as a
growing number of states has been legislating about foreign influence activities relying on information manipulation tactics, a significant gap has emerged between municipal and international regulations pertaining to international communications. This article explores the relevant law and finds out whether international law is up to the task of regulating state-sponsored online disinformation. In doing so, it clarifies the law and identifies the boundaries of an international regulation of online disinformation. It concludes by suggesting a safe way forwards to help restoring accountability and end impunity in the context of disinformation.
Talks by Dr. William Letrone
interconnectivity has come at a price; a greater vulnerability to foreign influences and interferences. Online disinformation is one inappropriate influence tool that can be used by foreign actors to undermine a state. The problem is that lasting legal uncertainties call into question the very capacity of international law to address stateled disinformation, and thus to provide adequate protection against foreign influence activities that may prove particularly detrimental to the receiving state. Then, as a
growing number of states has been legislating about foreign influence activities relying on information manipulation tactics, a significant gap has emerged between municipal and international regulations pertaining to international communications. This article explores the relevant law and finds out whether international law is up to the task of regulating state-sponsored online disinformation. In doing so, it clarifies the law and identifies the boundaries of an international regulation of online disinformation. It concludes by suggesting a safe way forwards to help restoring accountability and end impunity in the context of disinformation.