Legal and Policy Implications in the Age of Social Media in South Africa

Robert Kagiso ()

International Journal of Law and Policy, 2024, vol. 9, issue 1, 49 - 60

Abstract: Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the legal and policy implications in the age of social media in South Africa Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed that privacy concerns, copyright infringement, cyberbullying, data protection regulations, content moderation, online political advertising, employer surveillance, and emerging technologies like deepfake, researchers have shed light on the evolving legal frameworks governing social media platforms. The study emphasized the critical need for enhanced privacy protection measures, transparent content moderation policies, comprehensive cyberbullying laws, and stricter regulation of online activities to safeguard users' rights and mitigate potential harms. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social Contract Theory, Diffusion of Innovations Theory & Network Society Theory may be used to anchor future studies on legal and policy implications in the age of social media in South Africa. Formulate policies that strike a balance between freedom of expression and the need to curb harmful content such as hate speech, misinformation, and online harassment. Legal frameworks should provide guidance on content moderation practices while safeguarding fundamental rights. Encourage social media companies to adopt ethical principles and practices that prioritize user well-being and societal good over profit maximization. This includes measures to combat online addiction, promote digital well-being, and mitigate the negative impacts of their platforms on mental health and democracy. This contributes to both legal theory and practice by emphasizing the role of corporations in upholding broader societal values.

Keywords: Legal; Policy Implications; Social Media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://iprjb.org/journals/index.php/IJLP/article/view/2647 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bdu:ojijlp:v:9:y:2024:i:1:p:49-60:id:2647

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Law and Policy from IPRJB
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chief Editor ().