Russia, China Will Weaponize UN Cyber Treaty, FDD Warns

Foundation for Defense of Democracies Warns Against Aligning With New Cyber Treaty Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) • October 23, 2025

A United Nations cybercrime treaty set for signing this weekend in Hanoi by dozens of countries could force democratic nations to assist in repression, fracture the global internet and erode protections for human rights and cybersecurity research, says an advisory from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

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The Washington, D.C. think tank calls the treaty "a Trojan horse for suppressing dissent," arguing that Russia and China have successfully used the U.N. process to export their model of digital authoritarianism under the guise of fighting cybercrime. It warns that the treaty's vague provisions could give autocratic governments international cover to criminalize journalism, activism and security research.

"The United Nations is a platform for ...