Falsehoods, fakes and other techniques disregarding truth in order to influence public opinion

Abstract

In the world of superinformation featuring the Internet times, certain messages take root in the public opinion before other ones. This happens by hazard or, most often, intentionally. Falsehoods or fakes find a fertile ground to create opinions with proven potential to destabilize governments, influence elections or jeopardize important State values such as equality, dignity, pluralism, health, etc. Notwithstanding the lack of absolute truth in democracy, this article analyzes those statements issued by government, private citizens, associations or political parties, that, because of their absolute disregard for rigorous information or because of clear intention to deceive, cannot be admissible. This is so even if they are expressed in a political debate context as a result of free expression enjoyment. Democracy requires freedom of information, and demands participation, debate and opinion. In that interaction, nonetheless, minimum rules of the game —limits— must be respected so as to secure a basic democratic safeguard.