Freedom of Speech vs Privacy

There has been a conflict between internet based free speech and privacy legislation since the beginning. nowhere does this conflict become more obvious that in the area of social media. Do we really have the right to say those things about other people publicly? Should we?

Freedom of speech has been a central mantra of democratic countries for centuries, well at least a couple. However, the internet has brought in important changes that haven't been digested yet by our institutions. While freedom of expression will hopefully remain a central tenet of our society, we may have to redefine it somewhat. At one time, freedom of speech would have been tempered by traditional courtesy and respect for others, those aspects of society have dissipated considerably. As with so much else, the moderation may have to be legislated.

See here a writeup on a recent case in Italy which may change the situation a lot.