Rise in online libel reports
p2pnet.net News:- The number of online libel cases reported to the Swedish Data Inspection Board soared from four in 2000 to 157 in 2005.
And that’s only a fraction of the total number of complaints received, says Sveriges Radio, quoted by The Local.
“There are so many insults and so much harassment that we have no practical way of dealing with it,” says Mats Björklund, a lawyer at the board.
For violations to be classified as a crime, “some kind of personal information about the person has to be published,” says The Local, gong on:
“But the law contains exceptions and if the information published serves a ‘journalistic purpose’, then no crime has been committed. That was the finding in a case in the Supreme Court in 2001.
“Since then, many have exploited this gap in the Personal Data Act and have claimed that they published sensitive information about others for ‘journalistic purposes’.”
The number of defamation offences registered also increased by 30% during in 2002-2005, adds the story.
Also See:
The Local – Internet libel cases soar, December 4, 2006
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