Social Networking as a Legal Phenomenon

The emerging institution of legal regulation of social networking in different states appears in different ways. The comparative legal method of the studying made it possible to select two models: western (USA, Germany, France) and eastern (China). The Western model of legal regulation comes from “freedom of networked battlefield” and “freedom of speech”, the eastern one comes - from the “information security priority” and “deanonymiration of social networking”. Relations in the social networking have acquired independent features: big freedom of expression, a culture of clip thinking, “rudeness” in the relationships as the norm, as an impossible to nobility to identify the subject and the lack of responsibility. Under the studying of social networking, researchers form the conceptual provisions of “digital life” and “digital death” of personality. In Russia, the main problems of regulation social networking are the lack of legal definitions of the concepts “social networking”, “account”; industry uncertainty of public relations, which from in the social networking; a low level of safety for minors and the elderly people. It is proposed to consider social networking as public relations as an intersectoral legal institution of civil, labor, administrative and criminal law, also as procedural industries; legalize concept “social networking” and “account”; establish information security filters for minors and elderly people.