Convicted Sex Offender Claims Social Media Access as Human Right
A convicted sex offender in Norway is challenging the court to recognize social media access as a human right. The case, currently before Norway’s Supreme Court, argues that denying the offender a Snapchat account violates the European Convention on Human Rights.
The offender, who remains unnamed, was convicted of molesting a minor and using the Snapchat messaging app to connect with young boys. As part of his sentence, he was banned from using Snapchat for two years and sentenced to 13 months in prison.
Defense lawyer John Christian Elden emphasized the significance of social media platforms in exercising the right to freedom of expression and maintaining social connections. He argues that restricting access to such platforms raises important questions about state intervention.
In a failed appeal against the Snapchat ban in November 2023, the state argued that the ban was proportionate given the defendant’s history of exploiting children sexually through the app. However, the appeal court acknowledged that the man still had the right to use other social media platforms.
If Norway’s Supreme Court upholds the decision, the offender may seek further recourse by appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.
Snapchat, operated by Snap Inc., has strict policies against child sexual exploitation. While it allows accounts to be created anonymously, it takes swift action to disable accounts involved in such behavior. In the second half of 2023 alone, Snap disabled over 343,000 accounts linked to child sexual exploitation.
The ruling from the Norwegian court is expected in the coming weeks.
