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instrument, consideration should be given to trying to establish a self- or coregulatory system to address these issues, overseen by an independent, professional
body and applying lighter sanctions.
Article 30(a), prohibiting the publication of pseudonymous content, should be
repealed.
The rules on intellectual property should be reviewed to make sure that they are in
line with international standards in this area, including as to exceptions.
Articles 38(a), (b) and (c) should either be repealed or amended so as to prohibit
only incitement to hatred on the basis of religion in line with international standards
on hate speech.
Consideration should be given to clarifying whether or not the references to libel
and slander in Article 38(d) incorporate standards from the rest of Jordanian law in
this area and, if not, more detail should be provided as to applicable defences and so
on.
The references to humiliation and violations of the freedom of others in Article
38(d) should be repealed.
Article 39(a) should be repealed.
The rights of reply and correction should include a system for prioritising a
correction whenever it will suffice to redress any harm done and should be limited
to cases where an individual has been harmed by published content. They should
also not apply where content simply affects the public interest.
6. Regulation of Online Publications
Amendments to the Press and Publications Law in 2011 and 201230 expanded its scope to
cover websites and imposed various other obligations on news websites, in particular.
According to Article 2, a press publication includes an “electronic” or online publication.
Such publications may choose to register in accordance with rules issued by the Minister
for this purpose and, if they do, they will be treated as press publications for purposes of
the Law, which brings both the benefits and the obligations described in this Analysis.
Article 49 of the Law places special obligations on so-called “news websites” or websites
which disseminate “news, features, articles and comments related to the Kingdom's internal
or external affairs”. According to Article 49(a)(1), news websites are required to obtain a
licence from the Director and otherwise reconcile their situation with the provisions of the
Law within 90 days. Article 49(b) makes it clear that “all the enforced legislation related to
press publications” apply to those news websites which are required to obtain a licence.
According to Article 49(g), the Director must block unlicensed websites which violate the
30
Amended Press and Publications Law no. 17 for the year 2011 and Law no. 30 for the year 2012.
Jordan: Analysis of the Press and Publications Law, 1998, as Amended - 21