Die Illusion der Souveränität: Wie internationales Recht und Big Tech den Staat untergraben

*Submission statement:* The authors argue that state sovereignty is being undermined by both outdated international cyber law and growing dependence on technology companies for critical wartime infrastructure. It contends that current international legal standards only classify cyber operations as acts of war when they produce effects comparable to kinetic attacks, allowing aggressor states like Russia to exploit the “gray zone” below that threshold via persistent cyber campaigns.

A second major concern is the power of private corporations such as SpaceX, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and others, whose technologies have become essential to national defense and communications during wartime. The authors cite Ukraine’s reliance on Starlink as an example of how a private company’s operational decisions can directly shape military outcomes and potentially limit a sovereign state’s actions. Ultimately, the article calls for reforming international cyber law, redefining destructive cyber operations as armed attacks based on intent and cumulative effect, and creating stronger legal frameworks to ensure states maintain reliable control over critical technological infrastructure during conflict.