Defamation on Social Media

Challenges of private international law

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46282/blr.2021.5.1.226

Keywords:

Defamation, private international law, human rights, EU law, freedom of expression, social media, Brussels I bis, Rome II

Abstract

There is no doubt that social media have become a very important part of many people’s everyday life. The consequences of their usage is an increased engagement in defamation, most likely due to the aspect of anonymity present in the online environment. Such cross-border (or more precisely border-less) defamation raises difficult challenges in terms of jurisdiction and applicable law. These challenges, which will be analysed in more detail in the article, remain unresolved up until today. Moreover, negative effects occur not only within private international law itself, but status quo significantly influences the exercise of basic human rights, too. Besides analysing the existing EU legal framework and applicable case-law, the article also looks into the possible alternatives.

References

BroadbandSearch. (2020). Average Time Spent Daily on Social Media (Latest 2020). Retrieved 4 February 2019, from https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/average-daily-time-on-social-media#post-navigation-0.

European Commission. (2009). Comparative study on the situation in the 27 member states as regards the law applicable to non-contractual obligations arising out of violations of privacy and rights relating to personality. JLS/2007/C4/028. Final Report. Retrieved from https://www.ejtn.eu/PageFiles/6333/Mainstrat Study.pdf

George, P. (2014). Social Media and Defamation Law. In P. George (Ed.), Social media and the law (pp. 135–189). Chatswood, NSW: LexisNexis Australia.

Jütte, B. J. (2017). AG Bobek suggests limiting jurisdiction for online defamation of legal and natural persons (C-194/16, Bolagsupplysningen and Ilsjan) ngen-and-ilsjan/. Retrieved 4 February 2019, from https://europeanlawblog.eu/2017/08/01/ag-bobek-suggests-limiting-jurisdiction-for-online-defamation-of-legal-and-natural-persons-c-19416-bolagsupplysningen-and-ilsjan/.

Kuipers, J.-J. (2011). Towards a European Approach in the Cross-Border Infringement of Personality Rights. German Law Journal, 12(8), 1681–1706. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1017/S2071832200017491

Kuipers, J.-J. (2015). Cross border infringement of personal rights. Retrieved 5 April 2020, from https://www.ejtn.eu/PageFiles/6333/20150903 - Cross border infringement of personal rights (final).pdf.

Lysina, P. (2017). Forum Shopping v medzinárodnom práve súkromnom EÚ. In M. Lenhart, J. Andraško and J. Hamuľák (eds.), Miľníky práva v stredoeurópskom priestore 2017 (pp. 174–181). Bratislava: Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Právnická fakulta.

Lysina, P., Haťapka, M. and Ďuriš, M. (2016). Medzinárodné právo súkromné (2nd ed.). Bratislava: C. H. Beck.

Lysina, P., Štefanková, N., Ďuriš, M. and Števček, M. (2012). Zákon o medzinárodnom práve súkromnom a procesnom. Komentár (1st ed.). Prague: C. H. Beck.

Meier, F. M. (2016). Unification of choice-of-law rules for defamation claims. Journal of Private International Law, 12(3), 492–520. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/17441048.2016.1257845

Mills, A. (2015). The law applicable to cross-border defamation on social media: whose law governs free speech in ‘Facebookistan’? Journal of Media Law, 7(1), 1–35. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/17577632.2015.1055942

Nielsen, P. A. (2019). Choice of Law for Defamation, Privacy Rights and Freedom of Speech. Oslo Law Review, 6(1), 32–42. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2387-3299-2019-01-06

Sakolciová, S. (2019). Sociálne siete a ich vplyv na slobodu prejavu. In Aktuálne otázky medzinárodného práva. Zborník príspevkov vydaný pri príležitosti 70. narodenín doc. JUDr. Petra Vršanského, CSc. (pp. 314–332). Bratislava: Wolters Kluwer.

Vick, D. W. and MacPherson, L. (1997). Anglicizing Defamation Law in the European Union. Virginia Journal of International Law, 36, 933–999.

von Hein, J. (2016). Social Media and the Protection of Privacy. In European Data Science Conference. Luxembourg.

von Hein, J. and Bizer, A. (2018). Social Media and the Protection of Privacy: Current Gaps and Future Directions in European Private International Law. International Journal of Data Science and Analytics, 6(3), 233–239. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s41060-018-0108-z

Warshaw, A. (2006). Uncertainty from Abroad: Rome II and the Choice of Law for Defamation Claims. Brooklyn Journal of International Law, 32(1), 269–309.

Downloads

Published

30-06-2021

How to Cite

Sakolciová, S. (2021). Defamation on Social Media : Challenges of private international law. Bratislava Law Review, 5(1), 121–134. https://doi.org/10.46282/blr.2021.5.1.226