Social Media Platforms and Their Legal Liability for Illegal Content
Dr. Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Farwa
Assistant Professor of Civil Law
Department of Law, College of Science and Humanities
Huraymila, Shaqra University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abstract:
The accountability of social media platforms and their operators for illegal content is currently an essential legal issue. These platforms have become a state within countries. The effectiveness of their ability to regulate themselves without a legal framework governing their work and defining their obligations is a major challenge for governments and countries in terms of the amount of the damage caused by the illegal content they transmit. This study examines the limits of the legal liability of social media platforms for the illegal content. In this study, the researcher has defined the concept of social media to distinguish it from other suspicious sites and applications. In addition, the researcher identified the concept of illegal content, as well as the legal nature of social media platforms, because of this impact on their legal responsibility.
The researcher also presented and analyzed the most important legislative trends that organized the responsibility of social media platforms for illegal content. This study found a discrepancy in dealing with this issue. While many legislations have been limited to directly questioning the content owner, other legislations have placed responsibility on social media platforms, as a part of a legislative framework that clarifies the obligations of these platforms.
Keywords: illegal content, harmful content, social networks, operator, social media liability.