[Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Link, Palermo University] The responsibility that intermediaries must have regarding the behaviour of their users on the Internet has increasingly been discussed in Latin America. For States and certain private sectors, the intermediaries- the companies that provide the Internet connection or the social network we use every day- are called to act as gatekeepers on the network in order to combat defamation and online piracy, among others. This, however, is not a debate limited to the interests of the State and the companies offering services on the network. The digital environment has become an extension of the physical space, where citizens exercise rights such as access to information, education and freedom of expression. To that extent, regulatory solutions in this area should take into account the rights and power of socially desirable goals.
The aim of this new document by the Freedom of Expression on the Internet initiative (iLEI) of CELE is to offer a theoretical foundation and a minimum context for the debate on liability of Internet intermediaries, with emphasis on problems related to content.
The complete document (in Spanish) is available here
About CELE
The Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) was founded in 2009 at the Palermo University Law School with the objective to provide rigorous research and studies to sectors of civil society, journalists, government institutions and the academic community that are dedicated to the promotion of those rights, primarily in Latin America. CELE was created in response to a need to construct spaces for debate and study dedicated to reflecting on the importance and the limits of freedom of expression and access to public information in the region. In order to accomplish this, the center proposes to create dialogue and collaborate with other academic entities in Argentina and in Latin America.
CELE’s principal objective is to produce reports that can be useful tools for those journalists, governmental institutions, and members of the private sector and civil society that are dedicated to the defense and promotion of these rights, especially in Latin America. In accordance with this objective, CELE will undertake research at the request of the aforementioned groups in addition to undertaking studies that CELE considers to be necessary.
CELE’s director is Eduardo Bertoni, a professor at Palermo University Lawschool and former Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression at the Organization of American States.
