FREEDOM OF SPEECH ON THE INTERNET

ABSTRACT

From the perspective of the sociological approach, the article examines the phenomenon of freedom of speech on the Internet, its limits, as well as factors of its regulation. The author argues about what is now permissible in terms of "free speech" and what is unacceptable, giving specific examples of what is permissible and what is unacceptable.

The article concludes with a conclusion about what factors influence the regulation of free speech on the Internet.

Keywords: Internet, freedom of speech, law, mass media (media), cancellation culture.

Freedom of speech is the inalienable right of the individual to freely express his opinion. In every developed state this right is enshrined at the constitutional level. Like any freedom, freedom of speech also has its limits. The phenomenon of freedom of speech on the Internet was reviewed by such researchers as A. P. Gerasimenko, who viewed the Internet as a tool for exchange of information. [1] Also a significant contribution was made by A. M. Vovin. M., who also discussed the topic of freedom of speech in his article "Internet - freedom of speech or freedom of manipulation?" in terms of information presentation. This article will review freedom of speech as the right of every person to freely express his opinion on the Internet, the boundaries, and factors of regulation of this freedom.

The emergence of the Internet was to mark the emergence of freedom of speech. Earlier it was possible to express thoughts and opinions through books, newspapers, notes in magazines or by means of television. But not everyone could use these resources to express their own thoughts, the more so because the position displayed in such sources did not come directly "from the people", this position was always broadcasted by someone, because there was editing and censorship.

With the advent of the Internet, society really became more free, in the context of receiving information from various sources and users communicating with each other. Publishing information has certainly become easier, too. The Internet became another democratic institution that could broadcast the independent position of both the media and individual users.

Freedom of speech is a kind of democratic institution. It is necessary for the transparency of the actions of authorities, campaigns and individuals. Freedom of speech, as any other freedom has its limits. Sometimes they are set by the power itself - the state, sometimes these boundaries are regulated by morality and society. These boundaries are constantly changing. Just 10 years ago it was not as shameful to insult minorities in Russia as it is now. With the advent of the "culture of cancellation," freedom of speech has narrowed unequivocally. Before publishing anything on the Internet, whether it is a publication or a personal page on social networks, the author, unnoticed even to himself, thinks and regulates what he will say or write, since behind any phrase there may be a change of reputation, either of an entire campaign or of an individual. The culture of cancellation implies a way of holding people accountable for certain actions of a social or ethical nature, in the form of calls to refuse to consume certain products in the event of a campaign "cancellation" or offensive remarks about an individual. In this case, these offensive statements will have social support.

Another aspect of the regulation of freedom of speech online lies in the legislation of a particular state. The Internet is not only a platform for users to communicate and exchange educational information. With the advent of free access to the Internet, a new kind of digital crime has emerged. It is not only fraud or surveillance. Everyone can express thoughts of a criminal nature, publish appeals for something illegal, or spread information which can undermine public order. These things are regulated by law. If any site in a particular state contains information that contradicts any legal act, the relevant government agency has the right to block the site. Is it an infringement of freedom of speech? On the face of it, no. No one would oppose the blocking of conventionally reprehensible actions, such as calling for murder, for example. But when it comes to the state's condemnation of an acceptable viewpoint among the masses and, on that basis, creates a law that allows criminal liability to be imposed on anyone who disseminates information displeasing to the state, this already runs counter to the right of free speech.

Another aspect of the regulation of freedom of speech on the Internet is the rules of the social networks themselves. These rules are very flexible and change from situation to situation. Let's take an example. In recent years, the major social networks have actively supported the ideas of humanism, the value of life and equality of every person. During the BLM (Black Lives Matter) wave in America, Twitter blocks the posts justifying the actions of the authorities (policemen) and official facts about the destructive lifestyle of George Floyd, a murdered policeman. [4] Thus, the social network leaves only one point of view. Another incident happened two years later with the Meta platform* (Meta, согласно судебному решению, признана в России экстремистской организацией), where the head of the campaign allowed users to post calls for the assassination of the president of the Russian Federation, Belarus, as well as the Russian military. [5]

This kind of appeals is an extremist activity, which is banned in most states. The idea of equality and the value of the lives of all people came to naught, but, remarkably, many users supported this idea. Thus we see a blurred image of the boundaries of freedom of speech, which are constantly changing.

Summarizing all of the above, we can say that the regulation of freedom of speech on the Internet occurs through the influence of three factors:

1. Moral norms and public opinion;
2. Laws and regulations of a particular state;
3. The rules of the platform itself, where users can post information.

References:

1. Gerasimenko A. P. Evolution of the Internet as a tool for free information exchange in the present and the future. // Russia and APR. - 2006. - №4. [Electronic resource] - Mode of access. - URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/evolyutsiya-interneta-kak-instrumenta-svobodnogo-obmena-informatsiey-v-nastoyaschem-i-buduschem/viewer
2. Voin A. M. Internet - is it freedom of speech or freedom of manipulation? // Concorode. - 2021. - №1. [electronic resource] - Mode of access. - URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/internet-eto-svoboda-slova-ili-svoboda-manipulirovaniya/viewer
3. Kashtanova P. A. Regulation of freedom of speech on the Internet in the Russian Federation. Voprosy Rossiyskoy Justitsiya: pravo. - 2020. - 294- 301 с.
4. Who is John Floyd and Why the U.S. Protests Started With Him // Electronic Resource/ URL: https://moskva.bezformata.com/listnews/flojd-i-pochemu-s-nego-nachalis/84539969/
5. Meta allows calls to kill Russians on Facebook* and Instagram // Electronic resource. URL: https://ura.news/news/1052537811