新冠肺炎疫情背景下政府规制网络谣言的范围与边界

The Scope and Boundary of Government Regulation on Internet Rumors Under the Background of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia

在网络谣言的治理体系中政府规制扮演着重要的角色,尤其在新冠肺炎疫情的背景下,这种重要作用更加得以凸显。基于网络谣言已经逸出言论自由的范围和保障公共利益的需要,政府规制网络谣言具有正当性基础。但是,能够纳入政府规制的网络谣言在范围上并不能与传统的谣言相等同,前提须为具有可规范因素。通过梳理理论界及法律文本中关于网络谣言的认知与规定,本文发现网络谣言的范围一般包括虚假的、无事实根据的、非官方权威来源的和未经证实的信息。由于“非官方权威来源的信息”与“未经证实的信息”具有真伪不确定性,不宜直接纳入政府规制的网络谣言范围,而需要进一步廓清其法律边界。以这种不确定的信息作为规制的对象,政府适宜采取谦抑性态度,在符合法律保留原则、比例原则和正当程序原则的基础上,综合考量信息的发布主体、目的、受众范围、发布者与传播者的主观感受、社会危害程度等因素后审慎介入。

Government regulation plays an important role in the governance system of internet rumors,especially in the context of novel coronavirus pneumonia,this important role is more prominent.Based on the fact that internet rumors have escaped the scope of freedom of speech and the need to protect public interests,the government has a legitimate basis for regulating internet rumors.However,internet rumors that can be included in government regulation are not equal to traditional rumors in scope,provided that they have prescriptive factors.By combing the cognitions and regulations of internet rumors in the theoretical circles and legal texts,the paper finds that the scope of internet rumors generally includes false,unfounded,unofficial authoritative sources and unconfirmed information.Due to the uncertainty of the authenticity of"information from unofficial authoritative sources"and"unconfirmed information",it is not suitable to be directly included in the scope of internet rumors regulated by the government,but its legal boundaries need to be further clarified.Taking this kind of uncertain information as the object of regulation,the government should adopt a modest attitude.We should be carefully intervened not only on the basis of compliance with the principle of legal reservation,proportionality and due process,but also considering the factors such as the information publisher,purpose,target audience,the subjective feelings of the publisher and the disseminator,and the degree of social harm and other factors.