The internet is called the "fifth domain" of modern warfare, after land, sea, air, and space. At its center are URLs and the domain name system.
During the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, cyberspace became an intense battleground alongside physical combat. Ukraine's government requested ICANN to disconnect Russia's `.ru` domains from the internet. ICANN refused, but the event demonstrated that the domain system could become a geopolitical weapon. Meanwhile, Russia blocked numerous foreign website URLs domestically, restricting citizens' information access.
URLs play crucial roles in wartime propaganda. Fake news sites with credible-sounding domain names proliferate and spread via social media. Short URLs hide destinations, making them easily exploitable for propaganda distribution. International politics books are available on Amazon.
Internet shutdowns in conflict zones are a serious concern. When governments cut internet access, all URLs stop functioning. During Iran's 2019 protests and Myanmar's 2021 military coup, governments completely shut down domestic internet. Citizens attempted circumvention via VPNs and Tor, but access URLs for these tools were also blocked.
Efforts to protect internet freedom continue. Cloudflare's Project Galileo provides free DDoS protection for human rights organizations and journalists. URLs and the domain system stand at the frontline of information freedom versus control.