Timely judicial move

The Judicial Interpretations About Hand-ling Online Crimes, which were announced on Monday and take effect on Tuesday, are timely and will facilitate the fight against online libel, fraud, blackmail and the spreading of misinformation. They will also protect the freedom of Internet users to express their opinions online.

While a recent storm of action has resulted in impressive deterrence against rampant dissemination of misinformation online, many worry that some with power in their hands may try to take this as an opportunity to persecute those who speak ill of what they have done or even expose their abuse of power online.

The interpretations may be a precaution against that feared scenario. They include detailed explanations about what actions constitute the dissemination of misinformation, and the consequences of libel deemed as serious offenses that entail criminal penalties. The explanation says that a person cannot be deemed as having committed the offense of libel when the libelous statements he or she posted online have not resulted in any of the serious consequences the interpretations describe.