INFORMATION WARFARE AND LAW: PROBLEMS OF LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY

Abstract

Information warfare has become an integral part of global conflicts, using digital technologies and social media as tools to influence public opinion, spread disinformation, and form narratives that influence geopolitical dynamics.The article investigates the ways in which information warfare poses challenges to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law (IHL), such as discrimination, proportionality, and the protection of civilians, which have underpinned the regulation of traditional warfare. Although IHL was developed to address physical conflict, the development of digital technologies requires a new approach to how these principles can be applied to wars that are invisible on the battlefield but can have a detrimental impact on social and political stability. In addition, the theory of just war also offers an ethical perspective on the question of whether digital disinformation and propaganda are justified in the context of war. While exploring these issues, this article also offers recommendations on how humanitarian law can adapt to the rapid changes in modern warfare, and highlights the importance of international cooperation in countering the threats posed by information warfare.