Surely you have already wondered if performing a certain action is legal or illegal on the Internet. Posting a photograph, quoting a text, copying a video, among others, may seem like a harmless act that can often cause problems with the law. For this reason it is always good to know the limits to be within the framework of what is allowed.
If you are one of those who cannot live without being connected to the internet, you will know that digital technology is constantly evolving; and these changes have generated quite a bit of controversy about the ways of regulating content and services that did not exist in the past.
Surely you have ever heard about the controversies that have arisen in the legal framework of services such as Uber or Airbnb. And it is that we face new challenges in the legal framework that nobody knows how to respond to. Although most of the laws are different in each country, in this article you will know in broad strokes the things that are allowed and what is illegal on the Internet; so you can protect your website and avoid any headaches due to lack of knowledge.
Illegal things you should not do on the Internet
When someone is setting up a website, especially for the first time, the main goal is probably choosing a good web hosting service. Also in the choice of design for the website, and content creation.
However, both online and in real life, there are legal considerations that must be considered. Here we present some fundamentals about what is legal, what is not, and the gray areas (those points that are not yet clear in their definition). And of course, if you have some specific questions, it is recommended that you consult with a lawyer specializing in online law.
If it's illegal offline, it's illegal online
For many this statement is clear and hardly needs to be said. However, the facts show that it is never too much to remember it. An example is the case of a popular YouTube channel of an American couple known for their family pranks that included videos of them yelling and pushing their children. After other YouTubers filed complaints, they ended up losing custody of their five children.
Fraud, of course, is just as illegal online as it is in the offline world.
In this way the actions that I eat are penalized.
Sell counterfeit merchandise.Theft of payment data (credit card)Impersonate others to trick customers into buying from a site (Phishing)Be careful with the content you post
Other illegal content is content that includes defamation and threats of violence. Website owners generally do not intend to create that type of content. But sites with forum and comment sections should be kept under surveillance to prevent this from happening. And in this way avoid eventual problems.
One category of interpretation that is legal is the imitation of parody. This is why you can find countless openly fake accounts on Twitter lampooning politicians, business leaders, and celebrities.
Copyright and Intellectual Property
One of the most controversial points that the advance of the internet has had is the copyright on the content that is around in the digital world. Large regulations have been created from the massification and viralization of this content; however the panorama is still not clear if we take into account that there are several protagonists in this story (including large companies such as Facebook and Google).
For a natural person, it may seem normal to share some content that they find interesting on their social network profiles. However, in the case of a company, you will have to be careful about the information you share; If you use an image created by someone else for commercial purposes, you may plagiarize and get in trouble with the law.
But what is plagiarism? According to the definition of the RAE (Royal Academy of the Spanish Language) it is the action of copying in substance the works of others, giving them as their own”. In this way it is important that whenever you want to quote a phrase, an image or some reference, you specify the source from which the information comes.
Streaming videos and music
Websites that offer streaming video or music services without paying due copyright are illegal. The possible sanctions range from the limitation of the ISP (internet service provider), to the closure of accounts due to Copyright lawsuits.
Even if the content is your own, the web host may not allow video and audio streaming through their servers. Check the terms of service of your Web Hosting provider and the policy of use of the same.
Texts and photos of other people
As we named it before. Without proper permission, using third party content on your website is a violation of copyright.
Site owners found guilty of copyright violations can face huge fines, in addition to court costs. Jail is also a possibility.
And in addition to the consequences mentioned, it is also good to know that Google penalizes sites that include content that is “deliberately duplicated between domains”. Since he considers it as a deceptive practice. So be very careful when copying and pasting content, in addition to having legal problems, Google can also penalize your website.
Spam emails
Emails that are marked as spam are illegal. For this reason you should be very careful with the type of messages you send. A good tip is to create an e-mail marketing strategy to impact your audience in a safe and effective way.
Remember that hosting providers and other internet services like email management are usually quick to block or close websites that have spam accounts associated with them, which is illegal on the internet.
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