Misinformation Laws and Free Speech: Biblical Theology and Constitutional Principles for Global Social Media Governance

Abstract

Background: Governments and major platforms increasingly portray online discourse as a “misinformation” crisis, justifying far-reaching controls that risk eroding free expression rooted in scriptural and constitutional principles. Purpose: The article develops a biblically grounded, constitutionally coherent framework that protects truthful speech while restraining coercive uses of the misinformation label. Design/methodology/approach: Using mixed-methods secondary research, the study integrates three analytical lenses—agenda-setting and propaganda theory, the political economy of platform regulation, and Christian public theology (imago Dei, sphere sovereignty, subsidiarity). It triangulates doctrinal legal analysis, a systematic scoping review (2015–2025), documentary scrutiny of United Nations and platform policies, a cross-jurisdictional policy matrix, and computational discourse analysis. Findings: Regulatory trends align with global governance agendas, foster state–platform collusion, and frequently misclassify dissenting yet factual claims as “misinformation.” The proposed framework shows that upholding truthful speech, mandating radical transparency, decentralising content moderation, and investing in digital literacy better curb harms without enabling authoritarian control. Implications: An accompanying impact matrix equips lawmakers, platforms, and civil society to test legislation and moderation rules against constitutional free-speech guarantees and the biblical conviction that humans created in the imago Dei (Genesis 1:27) are called to seek and speak truth. Originality/value: By uniting media theory, legal scholarship, and Christian ethics, this study offers the first interdisciplinary blueprint that both diagnoses the power dynamics behind misinformation policy and sets out actionable, faith-informed remedies for a resilient digital public square.