{
  "id": 11470309,
  "title": "New study reveals how national cyber positions can shape the future of international law",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/new-study-reveals-how-national-cyber-positions-can-shape-the-future",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-02T15:20:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-reveals-national-cyber-positions-future.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study underscores the importance of national cyber positions in shaping the future of international law, as expressed by Professor Kubo Macak of the University of Exeter. These positions articulate governments' perspectives on how international law applies to cyber activities and can aid in interpreting treaties and recognizing customary international law. However, their precise legal weight remains ambiguous, as only 37 states, primarily from the Global North, have formally issued such positions. To diminish this uncertainty, Macak proposes several measures. Nations can explicitly define the legal significance of their statements and participate in international forums. The United Kingdom, for instance, has communicated its stance through various statements by attorneys general. Macak emphasizes that national positions are more than mere policy expressions; they contain legal reasoning and views, distinguishing them from political declarations. They should be clarified and engaged with through regional and global platforms. Macak's research reveals the growing recognition of national positions, which are typically formal statements issued by a foreign ministry. He acknowledges their potential to influence the evolution of international law, contingent on states' willingness to mitigate present ambiguities. The study, published in the European Journal of International Law, suggests that future work may include contributions from the U.N. International Law Commission or an International Court of Justice advisory opinion. While no specific rule governs the content of these statements, states may utilize them to comment on their intended legal impact. States that do not issue national positions can still engage in the debate by adopting alternative strategies, such as those detailed in the study, to influence the legal weight of these statements, even without direct issuance.",
  "summary": "Nations should do more to reduce uncertainty about the legal value of their positions on cyber activities, a new study says.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}