Lashon Hara Just a Click Away 1S
speed, immediacy, and magnitude of what is circulated render it a new phenomenon, and if so, what are the moral implications of this new medium?
4. Are the halakhic standards designed to discourage lashon hara and rechilut adequate to the problem of lashon hara and rechilut on the Internet?
5. Given the importance of conveying and receiving accurate information and news, what should be our approach to what is circulated on the Internet concerning those in positions of power and authority?’ U.S. law draws a distinction between public figures and private individuals with respect to protection from slander and insult; only private individuals enjoy legal protection.’ Does this distinction apply in halakhah to material circulated on the Internet?
Social, Cultural, and Psychological Phenomena that Impact Our Assessment of Lashon Hara on the Internet
To address these questions, I highlight three recently identified phenomena(one social, one cultural, and one psychological) whose effects are greatly magnified by the Internet, and have implications for answering these questions.
The first is a social phenomenon described by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point."' The tipping point is a concept investigated not only by sociologists, but also mathematics and computer scientists using computer algorithms in an attempt to predict how such a cascade can be modeled using social network analysis." In short, the “tipping point” is how fads are created: mob mentality in the cultural arena, fertilized and nourished by the Internet. It happens in a flash, and often the Internet is the catalyst or the accelerant.