The Cybercrime Prosecutor's Office charged seven people with spreading a hoax announcing the false death of local journalist Daniel 'La Vaca' Potenza. According to information from the Argentine News Agency, the charged crime is 'qualified threats aggravated by anonymity', a criminal offense that provides for a prison sentence of up to six years. The Prosecutor's Office managed to frame the creation of the fake news (which caused 'despair, disarray, anxiety, and fear' in the journalist's family) as a crime that protects a person's freedom and honor. The judicial investigation, described as 'exquisite', used high technology to track illegal activity, managing to identify the IP address and URL of the publication, even though the responsible parties simulated official profiles of local media to lend credibility to the news. 'La Vaca' Potenza (who was a victim of disinformation in January 2024) stated that his main intention in taking the case to court is 'to contribute a small but significant grain of sand to put an end to the impunity of anonymity' that operates on social networks.
Buenos Aires, November 28 (NA) -- The Justice of Córdoba set a historic precedent in the fight against fake news and impunity on social networks. The ruling is based on the fact that anonymity gives the act a much higher degree of danger, causing 'irreparable harm' to the victim.
Precedent against anonymity
The complainant's lawyer, Carlos Nayi, stated that the ruling is 'extremely important' because historically, judges have been reluctant to advance on this type of case due to a legal vacuum.
