온라인 허위정보의 규제를 위한 접근법 - 허위정보의 의미와 본질, 규제 방향을 중심으로 -

Info-communications services based on online platforms provide many kinds of ways for persons to access various information, gather necessary information, and express opinions on specific topics. At the same time, however, they facilitate spreading fake, false or fabricated information and pose a risk to the democratic political order, the social structure and national security. So-called ‘Disinformation’, which involves contents that are false or fabricated information blended with genuine facts to intentionally cause harm or for profit, has spread rapidly in online space. Since 2017 the European Union has earnestly discussed the establishment of the specific regulatory system on online disinformation by discerning between fake news and disinformation. The European Union’s <Code of Practice on Disinformation>, formulated on 26 September 2018, is noteworthy as the first self-regulatory measure created voluntarily to control online disinformation by providers of online info-communications services. Affirming the need for the regulation reflecting the characteristics of online disinformation, this article explores the meaning and essence of disinformation, analyses the making process, main content and implications of the European Union’s <Code of Practice on Disinformation> and suggests regulatory directions for an effective response to online disinformation in Korea.