De falsedades, mentiras y otras técnicas que faltan a la verdad para influir en la opinión pública

In the world of superinformation featuring the Internet times, certain messages take root in the public opinion before other ones. This happens by hazard or, most often, intentionally. Falsehoods or fakes find a fertile ground to create opinions with proven potential to destabilize governments, influence elections or jeopardize important State values such as equality, dignity, pluralism, health, etc. Notwithstanding the lack of absolute truth in democracy, this article analyzes those statements issued by government, private citizens, associations or political parties, that, because of their absolute disregard for rigorous information or because of clear intention to deceive, cannot be admissible. This is so even if they are expressed in a political debate context as a result of free expression enjoyment. Democracy requires freedom of information, and demands participation, debate and opinion. In that interaction, nonetheless, minimum rules of the game —limits— must be respected so as to secure a basic democratic safeguard.En el mundo de la superinformación propio de la era de internet es donde determinados mensajes pueden acabar calando en la opinión pública frente a otros, cosa que puede suceder de manera fortuita o, en la mayor parte de las ocasiones, de una forma pretendida. Es ahí donde las falsedades o las mentiras (fakes) pueden encontrar un terreno abonado para crear opiniones que tienen un demostrado potencial para desestabilizar gobiernos, influir en unas elecciones o poner en riesgo valores importantes del Estado (la igualdad, la dignidad, el pluralismo, la salud…). Aunque no existe una verdad absoluta en democracia y todo es opinable, en este artículo se analiza si hay afirmaciones, —bien provenientes del gobierno o de ciudadanos o de asociaciones o partidos políticos, no importa—, que, por su absoluto desprecio al rigor informativo o por su manifiesta intención de engañar, no son admisibles, incluso aunque se realicen en el marco del debate político y, por lo tanto, en el ejercicio de la libertad de expresión. Se defiende que la democracia exige libertad informativa, y exige participación, debate y opinión, pero en esa interacción hay unas mínimas reglas de juego —unos límites— que deben respetarse si se quiere hablar de una garantía democrática básica.In the world of superinformation featuring the Internet times, certain messages take root in the public opinion before other ones. This happens by hazard or, most often, intentionally. Falsehoods or fakes find a fertile ground to create opinions with proven potential to destabilize governments, influence elections or jeopardize important State values such as equality, dignity, pluralism, health, etc. Notwithstanding the lack of absolute truth in democracy, this article analyzes those statements issued by government, private citizens, associations or political parties, that, because of their absolute disregard for rigorous information or because of clear intention to deceive, cannot be admissible. This is so even if they are expressed in a political debate context as a result of free expression enjoyment. Democracy requires freedom of information, and demands participation, debate and opinion. In that interaction, nonetheless, minimum rules of the game —limits— must be respected so as to secure a basic democratic safeguard