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## Overview The Trump administration is enlisting US tech groups for a cyber privateering push, a move that echoes the American Revolutionary War-era strategy of employing civilians to battle adversaries at sea (FT, undated). ## Background Historically, "privateering" involved governments authorizing private ships to attack enemy vessels. This modern cyber equivalent reportedly involves recruiting private US technology companies to engage in offensive cyber operations against adversaries, a significant departure from traditional government-only conduct of cyber warfare (FT, undated). ## Strategic Significance This represents a notable shift in US cyber policy toward outsourcing offensive capabilities to the private sector, raising legal, ethical, and geopolitical questions. It could blur lines of state responsibility under international law, create liability exposure for participating companies, and provoke retaliatory action from targeted adversaries (e.g., China, Russia, Iran). This connects to broader themes of AI-enabled cyberattacks, state-sponsored hacking, and the militarization of the tech sector. ## What to Watch - Which tech companies participate and under what legal authority - International legal and diplomatic reactions - Potential retaliatory cyber operations against US private firms - Congressional oversight or legislation addressing private-sector cyber operations