Online Comments and Defamation
The European Perspective
Abstract
A defamatory statement is a false or untrue statement that harms the reputation of a living person. In the digital environment, defamatory content can be easily shared and may remain available online for a very long period. At first, anonymous Internet communication was predominantly seen as a value in itself – a mechanism that advances the public debate, protects political dissension, and furthers due process. However, the rapid growth of social networks and digital platforms has transformed the content and tone of online interactions. This paper analyzes online comments that may threaten the reputation of a person from a freedom of speech and within the auspices of European law. These comments typically appear as anonymous statements, signed only with a ‘nickname’ not allowing for identification of a poster. The European Union has adopted several pieces of legislation that set the legal status of defamatory online comments. The Directive on Electronic Commerce is of utmost importance given that it regulates the dissemination of online content. However, the European approach to defamation cannot be understood unless the European Union’s system is combined with that of the European Convention on Human Rights. The European Court of Human Rights’ approach towards defamatory online comments is best demonstrated in its decision on Delfi v. Estonia and MTE v. Hungary.
References
Bartow, A. (2009) ‘Internet defamation as profit center: the monetization of online harassment’, Harvard Journal of Law & Gender, 32(2), pp. 383-433.
Cox, N. (2014) ‘Delfi AS v Estonia: The Liability of Secondary Internet Publishers for Violation of Reputational Rights Under the European Convention on Human Rights’, The Modern Law Review, 77(4), pp. 619-629.
Flauss, J.F. (2009) ‘The European Court of Human Rights and the freedom of expression’, Indiana Law Journal, 84(3), pp. 809-849.
Hamdani, A. (2003) ‘Gatekeeper liability’, Southern California Law Review, 77(53), pp. 53-121.
Jørgensen, R.F. and Møller Pedersen, A. (2017) ‘Online Service Providers as Human Rights Arbiters’ in Floridi, L. and Taddeo, M. (eds.) The Responsibilities of Online Service Providers. 1st Cham: Springer, pp. 179-199.
Kleinschmidt, B. (2010) ‘An international comparison of ISP’s liabilities for unlawful third party content’, International Journal of Law and Information Technology, 18(4), pp. 332–355.
Koltay, A. (2019) New media and freedom of expression: rethinking the constitutional foundations of the public sphere. London: Hart Publishing.
Krzeminska-Vamvaka, J. (2008) ‘Freedom of commercial speech in Europe’, Studien zum Völker- und Europarecht, 58, pp. 292-302.
Lee-Makiyama, H. and Georgieva, R. (2017) ‘The Economic Impact of Online Intermediaries’ in Floridi, L. and Taddeo, M. (eds.) The Responsibilities of Online Service Providers. 1st Cham: Springer, pp. 325-340.
McGonagle, T. (2019) ‘The European Court of Human Rights and Defamation Law: Selected Dilemmas in the Digital Age’ in Burgorgue-Larsen, L. and Calvès, G. (eds.) La diffamation saisie par les juges en Europe. 1st Paris: Editions Pedone, pp. 9-22.
Mifsud Bonnici, G. P. and De Vey Mestdagh, C. N. J. (2005) ‘Right vision, wrong expectations: The European Union and self-regulation of harmful internet content’, Information and Communication Technology Law, 14(2), pp. 133-149.
Pollicino, O. and Bassini M. (2014) ‘Free speech, defamation and the limits to freedom of expression in the EU: a comparative analysis’ in Savin, A. and Trzaskowski, J. (eds.) Research Handbook on EU Internet Law. 1st Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 508-542.
Seltzer, W. (2010) ‘Free Speech Unmoored in Copyright’s Safe Harbor: Chilling Effects of the DMCA on the First Amendment’, Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, 24(1), pp. 171-232.
Smet, S. (2010) ‘Freedom of Expression and the Right to Reputation: Human Rights in Conflict’, American University International Law Review, 26(1), pp. 183-236.
Stalla-Bourdillon, S. (2017) ‘Internet Intermediaries as Responsible Actors? Why It Is Time to Rethink the E-Commerce Directive as Well’ in Floridi, L. and Taddeo, M. (eds.) The Responsibilities of Online Service Providers. 1st Cham: Springer, pp. 275-293.
Valcke, P., Kuczerawy, A. and Ombelet, P.J. (2017) ‘Did the Romans get it right? What Delfi, Google, eBay, and UPC TeleKabel Wien have in common’ in Floridi, L. and Taddeo, M. (eds.) The Responsibilities of Online Service Providers. 1st Cham: Springer, pp. 101-116.
Van Eecke, P. (2011) ‘Online service providers and liability: A plea for a balanced approach’, Common Market Law Review, 48(5), pp. 1455–1502.
Veliz, C. (2019) ‘Online masquerade: redesigning the Internet for free speech through the use of pseudonyms’, Journal of Applied Philosophy, 36(4), pp. 643-658.
