The Constitutive Elements of the Criminal Offence Represented by Communication of False Information. Case Study: Fake News in Social Media Cover Image

The Constitutive Elements of the Criminal Offence Represented by Communication of False Information. Case Study: Fake News in Social Media
The Constitutive Elements of the Criminal Offence Represented by Communication of False Information. Case Study: Fake News in Social Media

Author(s): Gabriel-Bogdan Chihai
Subject(s): Security and defense, Military policy
Published by: Centrul tehnic-editorial al armatei
Keywords: criminal offence; spread; fake news; social media; national security;
Summary/Abstract: In the present societal context, considering the tensions created among the population bythe measures adopted by the Romanian Government in order to prevent the spread of theSARS-COV-2 virus, the correct and truthful information represents a primordial need for thepeople, who can be susceptible to the influences caused by any information, provided by anysource. Without discussing about the psychological factors that determine people to give upto the filters through which they analyse information received in extraordinary situations, andtaking into consideration the fact that the speed at which information is spread and consumedin the online medium, especially in social media, surpasses the speed at which informationfrom official sources, which must be subjected to processes of approval, certification andsignature, is spread, this research aims to create an incursion in the constitutive elements ofthe criminal offence represented by the communication of false information, in regard to thespecific case of the spread of fake news in social media, with a potential effect on the nationalsecurity.