ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is concerned with a particular intersection of law and technology: international law on the use of force and cyber attacks. It demonstrates how the orthodox account of what constitutes a use of force under international law embodies a particular conceptualization of violence. The book considers the ways in which international law has traditionally sought to regulate various flows of information globally, including information flows that are deemed harmful under international law. It provides a summary and comparison of the informational approach developed in relation to the case studies. The book examines the doctrinal implications of this approach to international law on the use of force and cyber attacks. It suggests that some of the wider conceptual implications of an informational approach for international law and thinking about violence and the state.
