The internet is full of lies. Politics is full of lies. Auto sales and legal procedures are full of lies. Life is full of lies. The jails are not full of people convicted of lying. Near as I can tell the profits far outweigh the punishments where lies are concerned.
That’s one of the topics covered in the linked paper above - generally, there are very few laws making lying a criminal offense, but there is a much larger body of law where it can be a civil offense with potential damages. Intent and harm are the fundamental bases for civil damages.
Intent also appears to be a pretty standard element in most people’s definition of lying, too. Another interesting thing in the paper is a breakdown of six separate categories of lies, each of which implies a varying response, from despicable to laudable.
The authors are trying to make a case for creating a specific body of criminal law that would be used for dealing with the egregious category. The whole thing is only 47 pages, what else have you got to do with all that time on your hands?
