Social media law: What effect will new legislation have on social media platforms?

Often the rights of the individual are in direct opposition to the rights of the public. This issue was recently explored in the blog about Australian Prison surveillance. The further we delve into the question of what’s right, the more confusing this becomes, as what might be right legally may not be right from a freedom of speech perspective.

When neo Nazis fill our web pages with racist and often completely fabricated rhetoric, the majority of people protest and rightly so, demanding that the spread of hate be removed. Some proponents of free speech might argue that this type of action threatens the notion of an individual’s right to express themselves.

Several years ago, after suicide bombers uploaded horrific videos showing training sessions, almost instructional manuals containing gruesome and frightening footage, we all began contemplating how this was permitted. Some might say, these actions were a deliberate attempt to launch their vile beliefs on social media as a type of call to action.

The average Australian thought, ‘why the hell is this allowed?!’

Especially in this digital age, this type of example prompted people to question why laws don’t exist, preventing people from spewing violence across social media platforms.