Web archiving and chilling effects: a preliminary study

Purpose This empirical study investigates the potential impact on freedom of expression arising from the accumulation of user-generated content on the web. The purpose of this study is to serve as a valuable reference for countries and regions that have not yet implemented web archiving due to similar concerns. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the goals, the author conducted a web-based survey experiment using sentiment analysis of book reviews as a representation of general topics. This approach enabled the author to objectively examine whether the expression of content undergoes changes in accordance with social conformity theory. Findings The study’s findings suggest that, at least for general topics, the observed chilling effect is minimal at best. This provides support for the proposition that it is advisable to proceed to the subsequent phase, where more sensitive subjects can be thoroughly explored in the context of web archiving and its associated chilling effects. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first attempt to conduct a survey experiment addressing potential chilling effects resulting from the collection of user-generated content. Notably, the measurement of chilling effects remains contentious and comes with inherent limitations, adding a nuanced perspective to the discourse.