Social Phenomena and the Redistribution of Power
A Legal Analysis of Essay on Cancellation
Abstract
This review examines the intersection between digital sociology and legal doctrine through Pedro Tourinho’s Essay on Cancellation. The study is grounded in an analysis of the factual phenomenology of cancellation, interpreting it as a sociological report that precedes legal norms on crimes against honor (defamation-related offenses) and civil liability. The methodological approach connects this “pre-history” to today’s network dynamics, in which the “crowd” operates a parallel normative system of reputational deprivation. It analyzes the thesis that digital cancellation functions as a pressure tool used by vulnerable groups against historical forms of oppression, filling gaps left by a slow or selective state justice system. The text highlights the denunciation of lawfare and abusive litigation, exemplified by coordinated lawsuits aimed at silencing social criticism. Finally, it discusses the shift from a purely punitive logic toward restorative justice proposals grounded in structural reparation and effective behavioral change.
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References
HARDT, Michael; NEGRI, Antonio. Declaration. [s.l.]: Argo-Navis, 2012.
MENDES, Gilmar Ferreira; FERNANDES, Victor Oliveira. Eficácia dos direitos fundamentais nas relações privadas da internet. Revista de Direito Civil Contemporâneo, v. 31, 2022.
SOARES, Gabriela. Linchamento Virtual: Direitos Humanos e Responsabilidades à Luz da Lei 12.965/14. Revista da Emeron, v. 24, 2018.
TOURINHO, Pedro. Eu, eu mesmo e minha selfie: como cuidar da sua imagem no século XXI. São Paulo: Portfolio-Penguin, 2019.
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