FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: BETWEEN THE MILLIAN IDEAL AND THE ALGORITHMIC REALITY

Abstract

The essay analyzes the validity of the classical conception of freedom of expression formulated by John Stuart Mill considering the contemporary scenario of social media and digital platforms. The reflection starts from the premise that the ideal of absolute freedom of expression was conceived within a specific historical context, marked by external restrictions and a scarcity of dissenting voices. However, the current digital environment is governed by logics of selective visibility, algorithmic filtering, and performative discourse, which profoundly reshape the way speech circulates, is heard, and impacts the public sphere. The promise of pluralism and deliberation is strained by systems that amplify certain content, silence others, and guide interactions according to opaque criteria. In this context, the article argues that it is no longer possible to uphold an absolute conception of freedom of expression. The structural functioning of platforms prevents this freedom from being exercised equitably, making it urgent to revise its foundational assumptions. The central thesis is that freedom of expression, if understood in its classical form, does not find support in the real conditions imposed by the digital ecosystem.