OVERVIEW

The course aims to offer essential knowledge of legal informatics, with particular attention to online freedom of speech and the regulation of digital platforms. Students will learn to profitably analyze from a legal point of view new phenomena of central importance of the "digital era": fake news, use of hate speech on social networks, the prospects and problems of digital justice.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The program aims to develop the essential basic knowledge of Information Technologies (hardware, software and computer networks) applied to legal studies.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

In particular, the course will allow the students to:

1) Appropriately describe the main relationships between law and informatics.

2) Identify and correctly evaluate fake news, hate speech, and the use of populist speeches online.

3) Illustrate in detail the problems related to new digital powers.

4) Illustrate in detail the prospects and problems related to digital justice.

PREREQUISITES

No prerequisites are required to take the course

TEACHING METHODS

The course will take place through participated lectures, with frequent involvement of students in seminar discussions.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course is divided into two parts, closely related to each other.
The first part addresses the main relationships between information technology and law:
- Elements of computer science and legal information systems;
- Algorithms and artificial intelligence;
- Protection of personal data.
- Digital justice: prospects and problems.
The second part, instead, focuses on freedom of expression online:
- Fake News;
- Hate speech;
- Digital populism;
- Social networks and separation of powers.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. BARBERIS M. (2021). Ecologia della rete. Come usare internet e vivere felici. MILANO: Mimesis Editore.

2. ZICCARDI G. (2016). L’odio online. Violenza verbale e ossessioni in rete. MILANO: Raffaello Cortina Editore;

3. SARTOR G. (2022). Corso di Informatica giuridica. L’informatica giuridica e le tecnologie dell’informazione, Fourth Edition. TORINO: Giappichelli.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LUCA MALAGOLI (President)

MARIO ARMANDO SANDOVAL ISLAS

ALESSIO SARDO (President Substitute)

AHMET BILAL AYTEKIN (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The lessons will take place in the second semester, in the period between  February 10 and  May 15 2025.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Students will have to take an oral exam at the end of the course. Usually, the student will be asked a maximum of 6 questions on the course contents. Students may be asked to reason on some practical cases examined in class.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam methods aim to verify the student's actual knowledge and acquisition of the basic notions of legal informatics.

 In more detail, as to the first part of the course, the student will have to demonstrate that he has understood the fundamental concepts illustrated during the lessons, offering precise definitions and application examples taken from case law.

Regarding the second part, the student will be asked to define, problematize, and illustrate the application of the theoretical notions of fake news, hate speech, and online populism.

Exam schedule