In collaboration with affected communities, the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley is creating a first-of-its-kind tool — the Digital Ceasefire Agreement (DCA). This groundbreaking initiative is specifically designed to help parties in armed conflict negotiate the digital components of warfare. The face of war is changing. As modern warfare increasingly involves cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, Internet shutdowns, and disinformation campaigns, contemporary battlefields are no longer waged solely on physical territory or fought just by conventional armies. Large technology companies have become an active player in today’s conflicts — their platforms enlisted as sites of virtual conflict and their tools deployed as weapons. Meanwhile, conscripted cyber armies patrol the digital frontlines, and trolls create and spread AI-generated falsehoods to confuse and mobilize populations. While traditional ceasefire agreements are a vital step towards peace by halting violence, prompting negotiations, and facilitating humanitarian aid, they often overlook how digital tactics exacerbate human suffering and complicate peacebuilding efforts. The DCA seeks to fill this gap, addressing a critical void in conflict resolution tools.
