舆论致害事件中网络媒体平台的民事责任

Civil Liability of Online Media Platforms in Public Opinion Harm Incidents

舆论致害是信息时代网络暴力的一种形式,相对于传统的名誉侵权,舆论致害事件中每个个体言论都不满足侵权行为的违法性要件,但大量负面言论的叠加会对受害人造成严重的人身损害。依照当前《民法典》的规定,在舆论致害事件中无法对言论行为人及网络平台追究民事责任,而普通人公众人物化的现象也进一步使得受害人难以取得保护。通过对461份调查问卷的实证分析,不良舆论所造成的损害具有现实性以及规制的必要性,由受害人承受损害的风险不具有妥当性。在舆论致害事件中,基于舆论的社会价值,不能追究言论不具违法性的个体行为人的责任,但是舆论致害属于网络信息时代的无法避免的特殊风险,符合无过错责任的法理基础,应由网络平台承担民事责任。

Public opinion harm is a form of online violence in the information age. In contrast to traditional defamation, individual expressions in public opinion harm incidents do not meet the legal criteria for wrongful acts. However, the accumulation of a large amount of negative discourse can cause serious harm to the individuals affected. According to the current provisions of the “Civil Code”, it is not possible to hold individuals and online platforms civilly liable for their speech in public opinion harm incidents. The phenomenon of the general public being turned into public figures further complicates the ability of victims to obtain protection. Through empirical analysis of 461 survey responses, the damage caused by negative public opinion is shown to be both realistic and necessitates regulation. The risks borne by victims are deemed inappropriate. In public opinion harm incidents, based on the societal value of public opinion, the responsibility of individual actors whose speech lacks illegality cannot be pursued. However, public opinion harm is considered an unavoidable special risk in the era of online information, aligning with the legal basis of faultless responsibility. Therefore, civil liability should be borne by online platforms.