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Free Expression

Defamation in the Internet Age

Today, CDT releases a paper examining the relationship between the right to free expression and defamation law in the online context. The expansion of the Internet has empowered individuals worldwide to seek and share information. However, while the Internet presents unprecedented opportunities for communication and debate, it also exacerbates the tension already seen offline between freedom of expression and other interests. Among those competing interests are the rights to reputation and privacy, traditionally protected by defamation law. “Defamation in the Internet Age” shows how defamation law has been used in some countries to suppress speech and limit access to information, and it suggests how international human rights principles should be applied to limit abuses of defamation law.