The defamatory nature of memes through social media : a case of South African

Abstract

With the introduction of various social media platforms in the twenty-first century, social media grew at an exponential rate. Social media platforms have become an integral part of our everyday lives, playing an important role in our social environment by helping individuals to stay in touch with others and keeping us informed about global events. However, with the advent of social media, content aggregation sites, and online discussion, the potential of defamatory content and false comments reaching a large audience has increased dramatically in recent years. Social media sites are designed to encourage and incentivise the dissemination of sensational material without any fact-checking or control. Despite many of the advantages of social media platforms, they also provide opportunities for abuse and can bring out the worst in people, who are often unconcerned about the consequences of their actions. In today's digital age, it is easier and more rewarding than ever for social media users to spread false information about a person or business. The abuse and misuse are frequently done through memes, and while memes are now recognised as a form of practice and storytelling, they have a tendency to result in defamation. The study analyses the defamatory nature of memes on social media. Nonetheless, the Internet has made meme spreading a very public behaviour, and the phrase has become an intrinsic part of netizen vocabulary. Memes are among the several kinds of communication used by social media users. Memes, defined as cultural units that spread from person to person were disputed long before the Internet era. Furthermore, the study will consider the following aspects of memes: their global and regional characteristics; their role in Internet communication; and their societal connotation. The study will also look at the impact of Internet memes on one's personality and constitutional rights such as the right to a good name, freedom of expression, and privacy. Finally, the study will include a comparative component that will examine Australian law on the regulation of memes.