Cyberbullying in the Perspective of Legal Philosophy
Considering the Dignity of Victims and Freedom of Expression after the Enactment of the National Criminal Code
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24252/al-risalah.vi.72958Keywords:
Cyberbullying, Perundungan Siber, Filsafat Hukum, Kepastian Hukum, Perlindungan Korban, KUHP NasionalAbstract
Cyberbullying or cyberbullying includes a wide variety of acts, ranging from repeated taunts, accusations that damage reputation, threats, to the dissemination of personal data, so that one social label can touch different legal interests. The problem becomes more complicated after the National Criminal Code takes effect on January 2, 2026, because Article 27A of the ITE Law is limited in its applicability by the transitional provisions of Law Number 1 of 2024. This study aims to map the position of forms of cyberbullying in Indonesian criminal law after that date and formulate a legal philosophical framework to assess the legal response to it. The research uses normative juridical methods with legislative and conceptual approaches, as well as grammatical, systematic, and teleological interpretations. The results show, first, that cyberbullying does not have a single criminal basis. The explanation of Article 29 of the ITE Law does mention bullying in the digital space, but only in the scope of threats sent directly to the victim, while attacks on honor carried out after January 2, 2026 are more appropriately read through Article 433 and Article 441 of the National Criminal Code. Second, this article proposes a layered test model that combines dignity as a social position (Waldron), the priority of basic freedom and self-esteem (Rawls), the requirements for criminal eligibility (Bentham), and legal certainty (Fuller and Radbruch). This model results in the principle that freedom of expression can only be limited if expression attacks a person's position as a fellow citizen, not just offending him, and that criminal punishment is only appropriate when non-criminal means are inadequate.
References
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