Publication details
Sociální sítě a veřejný zájem
| Title in English | Social Media and the Public Interest |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Právník |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | Open access časopisu |
| Keywords | social media; public interest; public space; free speech; censorship |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The main purpose of the paper is a basic reflection of the phenomenon of increasing importance of social media (as one of the types of so-called digital platforms) and their legal regulation in the context of public interest. Simply put, this phenomenon is the result of the transformation of the means of communication (from common forms of communication to online communication), which creates pressure on the adaptation of legislation in many areas. In the field of social media, it is true that these digital platforms are increasingly beginning to function as a kind of new public space which is factually managed by them (especially in the form of content regulation). However, public space (in its ordinary, “offline” meaning) is traditionally associated with a certain form of public regulation, with a certain public interest respectively. The same seems to be the case for the most influential social media. In this context, the text examines the possible relations between social media and the public interest and, in particular, argues that the current functioning of the most influential social media indicates the need for some (additional) legal reflection. At the basic level, the text also outlines some of the possible regulatory approaches. |