DECODING THE ROLE OF THE ‘GATEKEEPERS OF CYBERSPACE’ IN THE INTERNET ECONOMY: ANALYZING THE LEGAL FOUNDATION OF INTERMEDIARY LIABILITY OF ONLINE PROVIDERS
When fake news is uploaded and widely shared on Facebook, is Facebook legally bound to take immediate action, or should it simply allow public opinion to correct itself? Is a reporting mechanism, through which users can flag nudity, false news, spam, and similar content sufficient for an online platform to meet its responsibility as an intermediary? When a product purchased online turns out to be a counterfeit, do online shopping sites like Lazada and Zalora have warranties that they should fulfill? As the Internet economy rapidly evolves and touches on virtually every sector of the economy from commerce to basic health services, the list of questions pertaining to intermediary liability goes on.