RESUMENEl presente artículo analiza cuál qué papel juegan las redes sociales y los buscadores en Internet en la campaña electoral, para ver qué regulación tienen y cuál es la que debería tener. En buena parte el método usado es descriptivo-analítico, aunque —sobre todo al final— se hacen algunas propuestas. Se describe la realidad jurídica y comunicacional no solo del Ecuador, sino de otros países como Estados Unidos, Francia, India o Australia. Además se examina más en profundidad el caso del buscador de Google, de las redes de Facebook, Twitter, YouTube y WhatsApp, y su influencia en la creación de tendencias y de “burbujas de convicciones”. Si finaliza con seis conclusiones que indican cómo la antigua legislación hecha para regular el uso de los medios tradicionales de comunicación social en campaña electoral no siempre sirve —e incluso está excluida en Ecuador, según una sentencia de la Corte Constitucional— para regular los medios digitales. Aún así, cabrá siempre aplicar los principios generales del derecho de la información.
ABSTRACTThis article reviews the role played by social networks and internet search engines in the electoral campaign. Current regulations and the regulations that should exist have are analyzed. The method used is largely descriptive-analytical, which allows certain proposals to be made, especially at the end. It describes Ecuador’s legal and communicational reality regarding this issue as contrasted with other countries such as the United States, France, India and Australia. The case of Google and of the social networks—facebook, twitter, youtube and whatsapp—and their influence on the creation of trends and “conviction bubbles” is examined in greater depth. The six conclusions indicate how the old legislation created to regulate the use of traditional social communication in the electoral campaign is not applicable—and is even excluded in Ecuador, according to a Constitutional Court ruling—for digital media or media platforms. Even so, the general principles of the right to information must always be used.
KEYWORDS: social networks, advertising law, information law, fake news, conviction bubbles.
JEL CODE / CLASIFICACIÓN JEL: D72, D83
This article reviews the role played by social networks and internet search engines in the electoral campaign. Current regulations and the regulations that should exist have are analyzed. The method used is largely descriptive-analytical, which allows certain proposals to be made, especially at the end. It describes Ecuador’s legal and communicational reality regarding this issue as contrasted with other countries such as the United States, France, India and Australia. The case of Google and of the social networks—facebook, twitter, youtube and whatsapp—and their influence on the creation of trends and “conviction bubbles” is examined in greater depth. The six conclusions indicate how the old legislation created to regulate the use of traditional social communication in the electoral campaign is not applicable—and is even excluded in Ecuador, according to a Constitutional Court ruling—for digital media or media platforms. Even so, the general principles of the right to information must always be used.
KEYWORDS: social networks, advertising law, information law, fake news, conviction bubbles.
JEL CODE: D72, D83