The paper analyzes the relationship between law, reason and emotion
in the light of recent changes in the field of social and online activism,
particularly with regard to social interactions within digital networks. With
the consolidation of the Internet, freedom of expression gave rise to several
social phenomena throughout the world, from the Arab Spring uprisings in
Africa and in the Middle East, to Wall Street protesters occupying parks in
New York City. Internet tools and social platforms have been enabling an
array of forms of social mobilization. Under contemporary law, digital interactions
decreased the distance between users and information, allowing
citizens to better claim rights, organize protests, express political views and
identify peers with similar interests online. However, it also hampered the
establishment of traditional face-to-face social relations, raising the awareness
of the importance of transparency, compliance and information mechanisms
related to the origin of online posts and online profiles. In many
jurisdictions, legal mechanisms have been put into force to make more
stringent liability rules, condemn users, take down webpages and remove allegedly offensive content. In different
trends, online activism can be
purported as wrongful and even criminalized,
whereby digital freedom
is considerably restricted. Such governmental
stance can bring about
the derangement of civil liberties
and freedom of speech. In an evergrowing
online community, it is particularly
relevant for Internet users to
be able to express themselves freely
and to have their civil rights assured
in digital environment. In view of that
broader spectrum, the paper discusses
the urgent needs for legal institutions
and the Internet community to
gather efforts in order to ensure that
freedoms and users rights are properly
safeguarded. What is the proper
legal framework for protection of
online users interests? Would it foster
development, freedom of speech
and democratic values? What is the
role played by law under the aegis
of the world wide web and contemporary
society at a national, regional
and global level?