Presentation of the Legislative Observatory on Freedom of Expression in Mexico
Juan Carlos Arjona Estevez
Last March, the Legislative Observatory on Freedom of Expression was presented in Mexico, which is coordinated by the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information of the Faculty of Law of the University of Palermo. On March 26, 27 and 29, the Coordinator of the Observatory, Franco Serra presented the project, as well as the first results at the regional level, to a diversity of students, which was complemented by the findings that have been extracted from the research. in the case of Mexico. The presentations had their particularities, which is why I highlight what is relevant in each of them.
The first was carried out in the Faculty of Social and Legal Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico before students of Political and Communication Sciences. The public listened attentively to what was for them a first approach to the debate on the regulation of freedom of expression on the internet, the scope, debates and pending challenges in this area, as well as the risks of restricting the freedom of expression on the internet, vis a vis freedom of expression offline, that is, in any other context in which this right is exercised.
The second presentation was at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City before an audience that is mainly studying a law degree. With the students, the debate focused on the impacts of freedom of expression on social networks and the impact it can cause on individuals such as public servants; Given what comparisons were made about what is allowed and prohibited in offline speech, and why this should not change in online speech.
The last presentation in academic institutions was before students of the Postgraduate in Human Rights of the Iberoamerican University, Puebla; We discussed with them the impacts of the use of social networks in relation to public servants. In all three presentations, it was a highly novel topic to listen to the impacts of regulation on the internet and its impact on the exercise of freedom of expression, as well as the diversity of legislative proposals that have been compiled.
In addition to these three presentations, on March 28, he appeared before the President Senator and the Secretary Senator of the Human Rights Commission of the Senate of the Republic, Article 19 and R3D civil society organizations and journalists displaced in the City of Mexico, the Observatory. After the presentation, it was heard on the one hand that, if freedom of expression was restricted, these limitations would comply with the requirements of the tripartite test presented by the Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and it was particularly highlighted the risks of a recent proposal for regulation at the federal level in Mexico, which is far from meeting the standards, while failing to meet the purpose for which it is being created. On the other hand, displaced journalists also noted the effects and risks they have suffered on their person for doing journalistic work, and the threats and attacks they have received on these same social networks through "anonymous" accounts.
The various presentations in Mexico of the Observatory showed the importance of opening spaces for dialogue on the subject, as well as clarifying the scope of freedom of expression online and offline, as well as the particularities of its regulation in both areas. Likewise, it was observed before the youngest public the ignorance of the impacts of regulation in their daily life as regular users of social networks.
He has a Law Degree and Master in Human Rights from the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City. He is a professor in different graduate programs in human rights in Mexico. He is part of the researchers of the Legislative Observatory on Freedom of Expression. He is currently the Fourth General Visitor at the Federal District Commission on Human Rights. The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not represent the institution in which he works.
