Jordanian Cybercrime Law No. (17) of 2023 between Regulating Social Media Sites and Restricting Freedom of Opinion

The primary objective of this research is to study the Jordanian Cybercrime Law No. (17) of 2023 between regulating social media sites and restricting freedom of opinion. In addition, it clarifies the concept of cybercrimes and how to control social media sites while preserving citizens’ rights to freedom of expression. In terms of balancing digital security and controlling social media sites. Defining concepts and terms, such as “regulating” social media sites and “restricting freedom of opinion,” is crucial to understanding the law's impact on users. Monitoring and implementing the law by the competent authorities to avoid excessive violations of individuals’ rights. The researcher used the descriptive analytical method, as well as the inductive method, and the legal text analysis tool was used. This research has reached several results, the most important of which are that the Jordanian cybercrime law has used broad, vaguely defined, inaccurate, ambiguous, and non-specific terms, such as fake news. Even though these texts do not meet the requirements of international law regarding drafting legal texts precisely enough to allow individuals to regulate their behavior accordingly. In addition, the Jordanian cybercrime law focused on the penal and punitive dimensions and did not include any institutional or preventive measures to reduce negative phenomena in the digital environment. This research has reached several recommendations, the most important of which are that the Jordanian legislator must reconsider amending legal texts that are unfair to internet users in a way that leads to the adoption of balanced legal texts compatible with basic rights. These rights include the right to exchange information, the right to express opinions and ideas, and the right to privacy, which the Jordanian Constitution guarantees in Article (7).