Abstract:
Freedom of speech is an atribute of democracy and has been enshrined in the constitutions of all liberal states. Hypocritically, totalitarian and authoritarian regimes have taken this principle into the fundamental law, although, in reality, power dictates what is good and what should not be said. As this phrase also includes, in its general framework, the freedom of the press, the public opinion has long considered the media as its main safeguard against state abuses. In turn, the authorities have considered the media to be a real danger, which is why a silent war has been and continues to be waged between these two entities. Paradoxically, today we are witnessing the situation in which the state is compelled to take measures against the media and social media, in order to protect citizens from fake news and manipulation, which arouses the anger of some, who claim these measures as an a ack on freedom of expression. e emergence of the Internet and the new changes that have taken place on the media market, as well as the increasingly profound impact that social platforms have produced, have sharply brought the role of the media in contemporary society into focus, as well as the necessity of respecting the ethical principles of journalism as a profession. Unfortunately, the pursuit of truth has been abandoned in favor of promoting shallow sensationalism, and as the media has advanced technologically, it has diminished in terms of professional quality. Exploiting these new realities, social media has replaced traditional media as the primary source of information, and the virtual environment - unbound by any ethical standards - has begun to promote falsehoods and manipulation of all kinds. This situation has been exploited by state entities that despise civic freedoms. These entities invoke freedom of expression itself to erode democracy from within, using trolls, agents of infuence, hybrid warfare, and even useful idiots. Taking measures to curb this “epidemic” is an urgent necessity. But do these measures threaten the principle of freedom of expression?
