Thesis on Defamation in Social Media

Abstract

The generation and dissemination of current events in our society are altering in this modern age of the internet and other social networks. A new process has evolved: the rapid conversion of conventional print media into the online media. On the one side, the internet has liberalized news creation and distribution, but it has also become a potential source for misleading information. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter are becoming strong sites for distributing information and media, given the growing usage of smartphones. New forms of online interaction, including Skype, Whats App, Messenger, LINE, among many others, have exacerbated the matter of social media defamation. This paper tries to check whether the laws of Bangladesh are capable to bring justice against this beyond the border of Bangladesh. The paper argues that Bangladesh’s Government enacted laws that empowered the government to control the effect social media defamation in Bangladesh but such laws are more reactive in nature rather than being proactive. As a result, the laws are not sufficient to mitigate damages and negative social aspects of social media defamation.