CYBER LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CYBER LAW - Essay ExampleInternet has a huge touch on both professional and psycheal lives of users. There is common belief that anyone can write anything opus online. On the Internet, exaggerated forms of behavior are not uncommon and people tend to harass or ridicule others who do not agree with their views. However, it is not right to assume that damaging someones reputation in a public forum cannot be contested in a dally of law. Considering the growing tendency among people to defame others including employees lead induced governments and courts to extend laws and regulations that encompass derogatory comments make on social networking sites and other traditions forms of media. Defamation of others by way of slanderous comments is not a unfermented thing and has been in practice for some decades, but this has been enhanced by the development of the Internet as a social medium. While negative comments published in the newspapers or broadcasted on the TV have a limited shel f life, those made on blogs and online social forums can remain in the websites for many years. The Internet is a medium that provides freedom of speech and expression to all individuals including the common people in the global level. The Internet thus is a democratic way of communication in a user-friendly, cost-effective and cost-friendly manner. Social networking sites corresponding chat rooms and blogs are places to freely express ones opinions. In spite of the Internets facility of freedom of speech, it is often being misused.1 Defamation is a terminal figure that has been used from Middle Ages that meant a persons reputation so evil that it could put a man on trial. In this modern era, the term defamation is used when there is attack on a persons good name or reputation. A complaint can be brought for defamation based on a false avouchment, spoken (slander) or pen (libel) that exposes a person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or which causes a person to be shunned or av oided, or which has a tendency to defile that person in his or her occupation.2 Since communication done online is mostly done in written mode, online defamation claims fall under the category of libel law. In order to prove defamation variant factors have to be considered. Firstly, it has to be proved that the statement concerned invades the reputation of the plaintiff which means the statement is defamatory. Secondly, the statement must make reference of the plaintiff. Thirdly, the statement must be communicated to a third person. Fourthly, the defendant has no valid defence.3 As social networking sites and blogs are increasingly becoming a common occurrence, it overly increases the possibilities of people committing intentional or unintentional defamation or libel. The easy accessibility of online forum to commonplace citizens have made defamation a common phenomenon. Before the advent of online communication, people who were not prosecute in media related activities did no t have to worry about defamation or libel. The traditional modes of expressions like newspapers or televisions are responsible for their contents that are broadcasted. Similarly, one needs to be aware of the comments that he or she posts or distributes over the Internet to avoid defamation or libel.4 There are numerous online activities that are considered illegal. Making threats or comments that attack another individual or organization on a social networking