Freedom of speech and room for dissent
Richard Stubbs distinguishes freedom of speech from room for dissent
on an information system
What does "freedom of speech within the law" mean?
This means people should be able to say what they like within the laws governing
speech, in other words people should have the the right to say anything
that is not specifically illegal. An example of illegality would be change
of the law.
Because of its potential liability as a publisher an online service may
also seek to prohibit expression that is against the civil law, such as
libel, as well as that which is against statute law.
What does "room for dissent" mean?
A. This means that there should be space for people to register disagreement
or objection. In the context of an online service it would mean that individual
subscribers should be able to publish views through that service that oppose
the views of those who control it.
What is the diffence?
A Freedom of speech allows the user to make a point and use space to promote
a cause, whether or not it is popular. Room for dissent allows a user to
react to the views of those who control the service. The key issue is whether
the users or the "managers" set the terms of debate.
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