Free Speech 7 - Different Types of Speech 2 Flashcards
Introduction
LAST WEEK looked at how 2 diff types of sppech, commercial and political treated in diff jusris
This week going to consider anonymous and pseduoymous speech, which of course is WAY OF COMM not type, that can be applied tp all types of speech.
Introduction
Now in paritc gonna look at it in this context of online expre, nto exlcusiely but will focus on annyomous pseu speech online
Introduction
These all famous annoyomous psydoymous speakers
j./k rowling-p
The economist publishes al stories anonymously
Gysi fwiles- one of most well known political blogs on the int and guy fawks actually chap pauls takes or writes blog- psyedonm
Online acitives well known guys- anonymous
e.g.s of ann and p
Introducing speaker and audience interests
So in this lec, we are going to consider the contrasting pos of English eu and us juris in respect of reliance on speaker and audience interst/ so gonna look at speaker and audience int and ho diff jurisdic rely on are u of those itn in order to formulate its juris.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Anon/pseudon of the speaker can benefit the audience by promoting free speech. However…
Audience interest favours transparency
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Speaker interests:
Privacy rationale – keeping certain information secret
So what these concepts, what speaker audience interest meani in practice will depend on whether they are in any given context underpinned either by free speech or privacy rationales.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
What gonna do this sldie briefly introud, cocnepts of psyed and audience interests. Then gonna be applied
Soeaker and audiencde inter mean in context of privacy and free speech provisions.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
So privacy rationale for ann and for pseudo underpins thr ight to keep info a secret. Including the speakers identiy. So privacy rationale underpins the right to keep certain info secret, including the speakers identiy.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Freedom of speech rationale – encouraging people to speak freely
So from freedo of exprsion perspec, protecting the speakers interest by preserving there anonymity, will encourage them and other people to speak more freely, and will in turn encourage the dissemination of more info.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Bc if they are permitted to speak annoymouslt or under psuedion they don’t need to fear ahrrasment or prosecution of course no one knows who they are,
So that’s a privacy rationalie underpin free specch.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Audience interests - subject to conflicting arguments:
Introducing speaker and audience interests
So far as audience interest are cocnnernined, there ar eocnflicting arg.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Si on 1 hand it can be said that ann or psued of speaker can actually benefit the audience.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Can benefit audience int, this sis because based on this arg it promotes free speech as an anno or psu speaker is more inclided to impart info or ideas to the audience for the reasons I previously discussed.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Cus wotn fear [prosecution/harass o actual audience benefits from that cos speaker more likely to dissm info cos don’t fear prosecution or harr- but theres conflicting arg- in other hand audience interest were usually favour transparency for a number of reasons.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
1st knowing the identity of the speaker enables the audience to accurately assess the speakers varcity
Introducing speaker and audience interests
- If spakers dientiy is known, if comm in way not ann or under psy-speaker more likely to express themselves responsibly and less likely to engage in speech which maybe d harmful or damaging.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
And final reason why audience intersts faovur transperncy is bc in the evnt the speaker has said something damging or offence, knowing identily allows dor remdial action, easier remedial action, so wheht e be speaker sued or proescutured much easier if know dientiy of speaker. Its far harder to do this if speaker is annoy or psued-.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Those conflicting arg apply to resr of lec.
Introducing speaker and audience interests
Next part of lec gona consider how case law and legislation ahs been aploied to anno and psued speech and in doing this gonna look at juris that have opposing views setxent to which ann and pseud speech is protected ‘
Introducing speaker and audience interests
So start off looking at bview fom uk.
er
The view from the UK
Eric barendt book on pseud speech in this book he provides very detailed history of a speech in eng in paritc.
The view from the UK
No absolute right to anonymity/pseudonymity recognised
-And what is clear is despite this established tradition of anno speech In uk and ulike the us where very strong const right to anno speech ahs emerged, in the uk there is no absolute right to speak /epxres sselves ann.
The view from the UK
There is a right under uk law but it’s a quite limited one not absolute 1 to comm ann and ps- so as well see its almost diomaentically opposed sit to what we have in us where theres an actual right to anonymous speech.
The view from the UK
UK =IS RIGHT LIMTIED AND NOT CONSITUTINAL RIGHT
US- ITS ENSHIRED WITHIN 1ST AMMEDIANT
Look at diff in a moment
Starting point
The view from the UK
Now online and social media anonymous comm is subject to sae legal rsttiction that can be applied ot the trasiotnal media, so way of e.g s.127 of comm act 2003 which makes offence to send messga evia electric comm which is grslly poffence or fo and indencent obcene or menacing chartc. That applies social media, txt messages, faxs emails . Weve also got
- s127 Communications Act 2003
- Online/SM speech subject to same restrictions as traditional media, for example:
The view from the UK
ss32 and 33 Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015
The view from the UK
s.33 Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015
The view from the UK
s.33 interesting one cos that esstntially that’s where we have offence of rvenege porn. Its not called reveng porn that what media called it. More intenrtsing
What this offence is is disclosing private sexual phjotfrpahs films with intent tto course distress. That can be done normal phot or online via social media email etc.
The view from the UK
s5 Defamation Act 2013
The view from the UK
s.5 defa act which civl liability, this provides website operators with an offenceto defamation actions where an operator did not itself post the alledgy dxefamotry material of the partic website. And what these provisons do relates both criminal and civil liability is they appear to suggest that annoy and psued communication is to an extent atelast discouraged. And they cldearly have potential tp limit freedom of express in cetain circumstanxces.
The view from the UK
Discouragement of anonymous and pseudonymous communication?
Npw also been some int case law around annoy and psed speech within uk
Paritc well know case= case of
The view from the UK: Author of a Blog v The Times
- So the existence or othersie riht oa nnoymity was considerd in this case but was considered as elemnt oiof pwrsonal privacy rather than aspect
- Right to anonymity considered as an element of personal privacy, rather than as an aspect of the right to FoE (although see next slides)
The view from the UK: Author of a Blog v The Times
Although well come back that poiunt on enxt slide, cos as well see some of the arg actually relate to fos arg than privacy arg. Bear that in midn.
The view from the UK: Author of a Blog v The Times
Case concerned a blog which is known as night jack. The author of nigt jack used it as platform for discussing his work as a serving police officer. Now within some disc had in this blog, some blog posts he was extremely critical of gov minsiiters, and was also v critical of aprtic police operations, now itnerestingly in his judgment mr justice dd was of opinion that much if what autho ro fnightjack publishe could ifnatc be categorized as political speech.
The view from the UK: Author of a Blog v The Times
So in judgement auth rof knight jack could be catge as political speech. The times d in this apritc case, wanted to reveal the bloggers ident and as a result, the aurhor of night jack applied to court for an interim injunction. To restrain the times form publishing any info, that could lead to his dientification as th person who was behind th eblg.
The view from the UK: Author of a Blog v The Times
That what this partic case was about. Jdugemnt ac case itself v short, recommed u read it for urslef
So look a tnow is the argument sand the judgement itseld and what this means for a right to anno- context of the uk.
The view from the UK: Author of a Blog v The Times
Now barrister who was representing night jack hue Thomlinson, 1 leading media lawyer I world, very well respected media lawyer. So hue argued on behal of author of nightjack
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Hue thom arfgued in terms of c’s rights privacy.
-Claimant argued in terms of right to privacy
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Some arguments may be underpinned by FoE rationale.
Arguably if u read judgment some of his arguments were underpinned by the free speech ragtionale which we discussed start of lec but regarles of that botgh with privacy and free specch arg that were advanced, on behalf of the author of nightjack. Were predominately based on the intersts of the speech’
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Now hue Thomlinson advanced the arg that the auht of night jack and also other bloggers, would in his words be horrified if the annoymoity could not be protected. Now this is aporpsition which is clearlu based on rpviacy rationale that we looked at start of lec. That ann allows speakers ot keep certia info secre.t including their identity
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Now what hue thom submitted 1st was thata general proposition theres ia public inter- form jdygemnt- in rpesevring the annomity of blogggers.
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Based on the interests of the speaker
Got privacy arg there, also got free speech agr bc its based on speaker itnerst, as preserving the annoymirt of blogger enables them to exercise their right of info and ifeas as guaranteed under at 10 1 of eu conventon,and that cinversly revealing their identiy, or maing them reveal ident would restrict their ability to depeat info and ideas
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
‘Public interest in preserving the anonymity of speakers’
But theres also secondary arg that preserving anonymity of bloggers protetcts uaidence interest I reciving infoa nd ideas of public interts. Bc if all bloggers made to reveal their identiy or if their ident was compromised they may be desuaded from blogging, impaetin info and ideas. That was 1st arg
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
No public interest in the disclosure of the author’s identity
, the 2nd – no public interest in the disclosure of the auth or night jacks identity. As said the publication of authors ident would make no contirb at all to a debitive genral interst, so that was the second arg that hue thomlinso advanced.
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Eady J rejected application: judgment based on audience interests?
It then was m jsutic e t give his judgement- and he agve judgment bannered in favour of newpspaer, didn’t agree with Thomlison.
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Now interstingly mr justice eadly did not accep tor reject any arg based on free speech rationale. Hw he rejected c’s application and privacy arg on grounf that, blogginf is essentially public rather than provate activity. He said as result the auth of nght jack had no reasonable expectation of prviayc.
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
But he said even if I found auth of night jac did have reaosnsble exp, this where balancing exce- the public itnerets inrevalign thata police officer was expressing strong cristism of the police an dpoltical figures. Out weiged his right to privacy and that revealing identiy enabled readers to acces shis veracity.
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
So mr justice eady judgemnt seems largely atleats to ignore any speaker or I favourded arguments… based on the free speech rationale on lboog, rather based on audience itnersts in disagrees with hue thomlisons arguments.,
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
so this judgment suggests thatfreedom of ann and pseudo speech enjoyed very limit protection under uk law. Now come back to this case, and animates porob associated with relying exlcusive annoy speaker or psued.
Author of a Blog v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EMLR 22
Lookat view from echtr
What are u thoughts , personally think came to wrong dec – but what do u guys thing, I agree with hue thom
Read that case short judgement.
Look now at psosof eu cts
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Todau eu cht hr not reuqred to consider extent to which a limiting post on annoy speech would render any such limit as incapabtible art 10 eu convtion, hw unfortunatelt far form providing clarity on the exitsnece or otherwise, right to freedom of ann soeech. The jursi of the eu ct has been equivocal in ebts way looking at it on this partic matyer. Its been rather unclear. So couple cases want to talk about .
-Jurisprudence on online anon/pseudon speech = unclear
Council of Europe, Recommendation No R (99) 5 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States for the Protection of Privacy on the Internet, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 23 February 1999, Guidelines 3 and 4.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
KU v Finland ECtHR, Fourth Section, Application No 2872/02, 2 December 2008.
Delfi AS v Estonia [2015] EMLR 26
1st is KU v finald 2nd r.a.w- both relat recent partic Delphia nd both relativel well know
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
In ku v ifnald, eu ct held any gyarante of privacy and freedo of expression of rights for an idnivid placing an ann advertisement, is not absolute. An must accord precende to other rights and intersts such as prevention fo crime and proetcion of rights of tohers. Okay so quite clearly uk v final, saying that no cetain no absolute right to anno speech. It has to accord precendec to other countervieling rights.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
So then we had Delphi
Now althoguht the dec in delhpi seems to based explci on audience int in free speech.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
The cts actually afforded online ano commincatio a great level of important. So tell u little abot case.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
So Delphi was int news officer and delho had been required by Estonian cts to compensate victim in this case who ha dbeen v of threatening and defam comments which been posted on delphis serves even tho notice take down procedure, certaintime which take it down. So they operated that paritc service/rpcoeure as sokn as readers complained about these partic statemnts which v were complaining about.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Now issue before the cts was wheter or not had been ifnrignement of freedom of expresio of the owner of dephi. Now ground chamber of eu ct hr held that the estonanin suprem ct , was compatible with eu convneiton and this eu cht hr said.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Ct is mifdful of the itnerst of internet users, in no disclosing ther identiy
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Accoridngly ann is capable of promitign a fre eflow of ideas and info in an important manner. Including notability on the inteneet.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
As a result it rejected delphis argument that victims of defam statements must brign defamation prceedigns agaisn the authors comments after idneity ha dbeen established.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Bc of the important that that anno plays in the free firs information ideas partic in context of int. now interstingly aswell that was very diff sttemnt to what we had in ku.b ut clealy in Delphi euc ht hr recognized ht eimproantce of no annoy sppech.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Now other council of eu insitiitonas have also empahsied the importance of online anonymous communciao.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Council of Europe, Declaration on Freedom of Communication on the Internet, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 28 May 2003, Principle 7 (Anonymity).
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
So in Delphi itself the u ct including decla of the council of minister on freedom of communication . So in deplhi they considered this, they looked a this decl and they applied it.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Now principle 7 of this decl recognizes that 2 ensur eprotection against online surveeince and to enhance free expression of infoa nd ideas .Memebr states shoudlr espect will of users of int not to disclose their identiy.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Council of Europe, Recommendation No R (99) 5 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States for the Protection of Privacy on the Internet, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 23 February 1999, Guidelines 3 and 4.
Now additionaly got this earlier recommediatio of council of misntes.a nd ths suggest recognition of anonymity it context of int communticionn as aspect to personal privacy protection.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
So although these decl and also the eu ct dephit do not as yet atleast establish an absolute right o ann speech. Arguaby this epxlciit recognition of the improantce of ann and osued expression form both eua nd also council of eu . Suggest that in correct cirumstances atleats.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
Such a right could be brought into existence in future. Now as lookat itn next oart of elc. The us posotiona nd extent germnayis remabrkly diff.
Online anonymous and pseudonymous speech: an equivocal view from Strasbourg-
In us an consituonal right to ann speech both genrally an online has been held to exista nd has been cosnitly protected. Said before , that u think live in liberal free specch space within uk, it isvene more liberal in us. And I think ann and pseud expression illustrates that. How lib they are.
A view from Germany
Germany provides intersitng comparote whats going on eu ct hr. so unlike the stance of eu ct hr. which is said in rpev is rather equiv, unvlear how it r=teats ann and pseud xprssion.
Federal Supreme Court decision based on 3 points:
A view from Germany
German juris is actually much clear as to domestic cts adopted psotion on this partic way of comm. Illustrated very nicely by spcik mich case.
A view from Germany
Spickmich case Bundesgerichtshof [German Federal Court of Justice], VI ZR 196/08, 23 June 2009, Neue Juristische Wochenschrift 2009, 2888.
A view from Germany
Now this case concerned teacher- argue that her name details of her school and specifically annoy assements of her teaching by pupils which was accisble people to lok at via registration on spicmicks site. Should be removed. Npw issue before ht journaling courts concerned conflicting rights.
A view from Germany
On the 1 hand the teacher submitted that the storage and comuncation of info. Name details etc via pupils, contravened her right to informational self determination. Int hat she should be able to determine in any info should be made avail tp those who could access spinck mcih.
A view from Germany
Now this paritc privacy right. Right to individual self dissemiantion is protected robustly under german law.
A view from Germany
On the toher hand hw the argument was advanced that based on righ to freedo of expression, students and parent should be able toa sses teaching qual of thei teachers annoym, now germna fed supreme ct, uoheld the readings of lower ct and ismiessed the trachrs complaint. The cts decision wa sbased on these 3 point abovide
A view from Germany
Federal Supreme Court decision based on 3 points:
A view from Germany
- Anonymity is an inherent aspect of the use of the internet
1st- r.a.w – so v much mirroring euct hr – also saw council of min say inther eprevious slide.
A view from Germany
- Anonymity protected by statute