Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech: The Legalities for Social Media Users
While freedom of expression is a cherished right introduced to South Africans against the historical backdrop of thought control and censorship, it comes with responsibilities. Social media users must exercise caution and respect the legal boundaries when expressing their views online.
Bool Smuts v Herman Botha – Right to Privacy v Freedom of Expression
On 10 January 2022 the Supreme Court of Appeal handed down a landmark judgment in the matter of Smuts and Another v Botha and Another (887/2020) [2022] ZASCA 3 (10 January 2022) which gives us an inside look at how our privacy laws are applied by the courts. Summary In this matter, Bool Smuts, a more...
Social Media: Freedom of Expression vs Defamation and Hate Speech
Although we hear defamation and/or hate speech around us regularly, mostly, we see it on social media. It is almost as if people believe that because they are protected behind a keyboard or a screen, they can say whatever they feel like. Social media remains a public platform and everyone using it, just as in more...