A/74/120 Security responsibilities on the part of private actors in the design and maintenance of digital products The spread of digital technology as a new tool and sphere of conflict gives the private sector, including a number of systemic actors, a critical role and unprecedented responsibility in safeguarding international peace and security. The Paris Call recognized “the responsibilities of key private sector actors to build confidence, security and stability in cyberspace” and encouraged “initiatives to enhance the security of digital processes, products and services ”. In the view of France, a principle should be elaborated at the international level regarding the accountability of private systemic actors in the development, integration, use and maintenance of their digital products, processes and services throughout their life cycles and throughout the supply chain. Responsibility of digital platforms in the fight against terrorism France also promotes accountability on the part of private digital actors for combating the misuse of their services for terrorist purposes. France has raised this issue with the G7 and the European Union, actively supporting the adoption of a draft European regulation governing the activities of Internet providers with respect to combating terrorist content online. The draft stipulates that terrorist content must be removed immediately upon request by a member State, that active measures be adopted by platforms that could be exposed to terrorist content, that a 24-hour contact point be established to process reports and removal requests and that penalties be imposed for systematic non-cooperation. Preventing offensive activities by private actors France believes that States must retain their monopoly on the legitimate use of physical violence, both in cyberspace and elsewhere. It therefore supports the prohibition on non-State actors, including in the private sector, on conducting offensive activities in cyberspace on their own behalves or on behalf of other non-State actors. Such practices, based on the principle of legitimate self-defence (“hacking back”), have potentially destabilizing negative impacts on third parties and could fuel escalation among States. France therefore believes that the latitude of private actors to respond to incidents should be elucidated. 4. Possible measures by the international community to strengthen global cybersecurity Faced with new threats stemming from the digital revolution, France believes that cooperation and law are necessary to prevent cyberspace becoming a permanent conflict zone. States are obliged to respect international law in the digital space as in other domains. Additionally, the normative framework on the responsible behaviour of States in cyberspace that has emerged in recent y ears should be consolidated. France believes that the following steps could strengthen global cybersecurity: • Building on the work done during previous meetings of the Group of Governmental Experts. Without prejudice to the norms and recommendations agreed by consensus during previous rounds of negotiations, it might be useful to clarify the how to implement those norms and recommendations and how to develop a better understanding internationally of relevant good practices. • Building on the Paris Appeal during upcoming United Nations discussions on cybersecurity challenges. The Appeal has so far brought together over one third of United Nations Member States and hundreds of prominent non -State 19-10580 25/39