My original goal for the class Digital Marketing and the Law, I wanted to learn how the First Amendment affects the internet. Many regulations and laws are determined by the First Amendment and it is in great question today what many large internet platforms are doing today. Terms and conditions are great legal enforcements that tell users what a site is able to do with the content that users post. For example, Facebook has been censoring many people’s posts and the users are very upset. However, private parties such as Facebook do reserve the right to take down content of their choosing. Since many people do not read these T&C or the privacy policies, they do not have issues until something they disagree with makes face.
One thing I did not think about in my original goals for this class was copyrights, cybercrime, and defamation. It is not because I think they are unimportant, I simply forgot. Cybercrime is very serious and should have harsher punishments along with more securities against such crimes. Because so many people are affected by people who commit cybercrimes, such as identity theft, loss in money, or other outcomes, these criminals should have harsher penalties. Users who also cause defamation to others should feel the brunt of the law. There is no morally right reason to cause another person harm to their name, business, or family. Yes, some cases are innocent typos or misinformation, but those who cause intentional harm have to go through court.
Spam, while not illegal, also needs to follow certain laws. The CAN-SPAM Act puts regulations on businesses or people who send unwanted emails, texts, or content to consumers. Every act of spam must show who sent it, the physical address, the subject cannot be misleading, and there always has to be an option for recipients to opt out of these messages. No user appreciates spam, and it has been an issue since 1978. The CAN-SPAM Act has been trying to prohibit spam since 2003 and has been doing a good job since.
Adreana Chebat's Mastery Journal 