Legal Strategies for Combating Fake News and Misinformation

Abstract

This article aims to explore the various legal strategies employed to combat fake news and misinformation, examining the complexities and challenges inherent in these approaches. It seeks to identify effective measures and provide a comprehensive understanding of how law and policy can evolve to address the pervasive issue of misinformation in the digital age. Employing a qualitative research design, this study relies on semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 23 participants, including legal experts, policymakers, and digital platform operators. The interviews were designed to achieve theoretical saturation, ensuring a robust exploration of the subject. Data were analyzed thematically, focusing on identifying key themes, categories, and concepts related to legal strategies against fake news. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: Legal Frameworks, Challenges in Legal Enforcement, Role of Digital Platforms, and Impacts of Legal Strategies. Each theme encompasses several categories with associated concepts, revealing a complex landscape of strategies ranging from constitutional considerations and digital regulation to the ethical challenges of enforcement and the societal impacts of legal measures against misinformation. The study concludes that combating fake news and misinformation requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond traditional legal remedies. Effective strategies must include enhancing public cognitive resilience, promoting critical media literacy, and ensuring digital platforms' accountability and transparency. Collaboration among stakeholders across legal, educational, and technological domains is crucial for developing resilient legal frameworks that can adapt to the evolving nature of misinformation.