Civil Responsibility in Electronic Journalism and Social Media

Abstract

The legal framework for civil liability in online journalism and social media protects individuals from harm that may result from published content. This liability is based on general rules of civil law, such as the existence of fault, damage, and a causal relationship between them. This is due to the absence of specific legislation in most countries, which prompts courts to resort to these rules to compensate victims. This liability takes various forms, such as damages resulting from defamation, slander, libel, the publication of false news, the violation of privacy, and the spread of rumors. Liability is distributed among various parties, such as the content writer, the publisher or website administrator, and even the hosting service provider, depending on the degree of control each has over the published content. With the rapid growth of digital media, the need for clear legal controls that balance freedom of expression with the need to protect individual rights is growing. This has prompted some legislation to attempt to bridge this legal gap.