The Meaning of the Phrase “For Public Knowledge” in the Crime of Defamation in Digital Space
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62193/yt8nrz69Keywords:
Defamation, Digital Criminal Law, EIT Law, Private Sphere, Public KnowledgeAbstract
The expansion of social media as a mode of digital communication has generated new legal challenges in the enforcement of defamation provisions, particularly following the adoption of Article 27(3) of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law. The omission of the phrase “so that it be known to the public” a key element in Article 310(1) of the Indonesian Penal Code obscures the distinction between private insult and public defamation. This study employs normative legal research and prescriptive analysis to evaluate the continuing relevance of that element in establishing criminal liability for online defamation, and its function in delineating the boundary between private and public spheres. The findings suggest that this element remains essential in assessing the communicative intent of the alleged offender, which may be inferred from indicators such as account visibility, use of hashtags, or third-party dissemination. Its exclusion risks eroding the principle of legality and may lead to the unwarranted criminalization of protected expression in digital environments.
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