Budapest, Hungary

Privacy, Free Speech and the Media

Dear Students,

The Pázmány Péter Catholic University and the University of Public Service organises an online summer school titled "Privacy, Free Speech and the Media" from 28 June until 9 July 2021. The language of the programme is English, and will be taught by an international group of lecturers.

Application and further information is available at our website

The 20th century has witnessed a revolution in information technology, challenging the traditional concepts and regulatory solutions of media law. New devices allow for the spreading of content in unprecedented scale and speed, making it possible for information to reach millions around the globe. Not only do these solutions create new channels of democratic participation, obliterate the conventional news cycle and putting governments under new sources of pressure, they are bursting the confines of the traditional legal framework regulating the media. The internet and in particular, the borderless nature of cyberspace are posing difficult questions of jurisdiction in both regulating online behaviour and prosecuting possible offences. The problem of extraterritoriality in prosecuting hate crimes committed online shows a clear need for establishing cross-border cooperation between the server states and states where the audience of the inciting material is located. Differences in privacy laws and personality rights and net neutrality across the globe lead to differences in the consideration of similar cases involving revenge porn, photos of shot of police, or the download speed of certain sites. Meanwhile, private search engine and social media giants such as Google and Facebook are becoming central channels of the democratic debate, determining the information we access and share based on their own economic and political priorities. Attempts to regulate these companies have resulted e.g. in the notorious right to be forgotten, but the jury is out on how best to curb possible fundamental rights violations across multiple jurisdictions.

These are just some of the issues to be tackled by the media law of the 21st century. The Summer School on Privacy, Free Speech, and the Media focuses on introducing the different areas of law and the rights and freedoms affected by the shifting media landscape. Taking examples from prominent media scandals of the past decade, courses will discuss the most pressing issues of media regulation, along with solutions and case law from Europe and the United States.

Fee info

EUR 100: No tuition fee just a non-refundable application fee of 100 €