Cyber-bullies could face two years in jail under new internet troll rules in UK
103 replies, posted
[quote]A change to the criminal justice bill would target abuse on the internet or via mobile phones in England and Wales
People convicted of cyber-bullying and text message abuse could face up to two years in prison, under plans backed by the government.
The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, has backed an amendment to the criminal justice bill that would target new rules at combating trolls that sexually harass and verbally abuse people on the internet or via mobile phones in England and Wales.
The amendment, due to be discussed in parliament on Thursday, was proposed by the Conservative MP for Ealing Central and Acton Angie Bray, after one of her constituents said her 14-year-old daughter had been “verbally raped” by 2,000 obscene texts sent by an older man, who escaped conviction.
“Just tabled amendment to criminal justice bill to make life just a bit harder for cyber-bullies and sex pests using texts to harass victims,” said Bray on Twitter.
Crown court upgrade
The amendment would allow for greater penalties of up to two years in prison and extend the period of time made available to authorities attempting to build difficult cases against offenders.
Offences such as internet trolling fall under the Malicious Communications Act, which can only be tried in a magistrates’ court.
Bray’s tabled amendment comes after a string of high-profile abuse cases involving Twitter and text messages. Two abusers of the feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez were jailed in January for subjecting her to threats of violence and rape on Twitter after Criado-Perez launched a campaign for more women to be represented on banknotes.
The Labour minister for culture, media and sport, Helen Goodman, called for “a clear legal framework” to tackle the problem of cyber-bullying and the suicides of vulnerable young people in January, after the deaths of the teenagers Tallulah Wilson and Hannah Smith.
Wilson died in 2012 aged 15 when she was hit by a train. An inquest into her death found that she had developed an alternative fantasy life online. In 2013, 14-year-old Hannah Smith was found hanged after being bullied on the open-discussion site Ask.fm.
A committee will discuss the tabled amendment in parliament on Thursday, which will be added to the changes to laws to be voted on this year.[/quote]
[url]http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/26/cyber-bullies-tougher-penalties-internet-troll[/url]
Consequences will never be the same
Half the population of UK teenagers going to end up in prison then?
brb installing tor
bollocks
I killed a few people and then burnt their bodies, what you in here for?
Told some guy to go neck himself
Okay, before everyone goes "lol half the internet's gonna go to jail," there's a difference between going "lol fag" once or twice to stalking someone constantly leaving them with no safe refuge where they can feel good about themselves.
how about a week-long class about stuff like this instead of imprisoning them. it's a better usage of tax payer money and i don't see how fumbling around in a prison for 24 months would be better than that. emotional maturity is pretty damned important.
Hearing something along the lines from judge would be hysterical "you have committed hundred counts of trolling acts" then you face 2 years of jail time, justice served well.
[QUOTE=Ownederd;44363485]how about a week-long class about stuff like this instead of imprisoning them. it's a better usage of tax payer money and i don't see how fumbling around in a prison for 24 months would be better than that. emotional maturity is pretty damned important.[/QUOTE]
Id imagine perhaps they'd only go to jail if it was added onto another crime, like they actually died through their words, UK does have rehabilitation for everything I think
Better bloat an already crowded prison system by throwing people in jail because they called someone a wanker online!
Shit like this gets me so livid. All it does is allow more control and silly laws like this to creep in.
Any person with a brain will know of these buttons. They should learn to use them.
[IMG]http://www.cefls.org/images/esenior_power_button2.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http://puu.sh/7KEi6/a065493113.jpg[/IMG]
-snip-
[QUOTE=orcywoo6;44363521]Shit like this gets me so livid. All it does is allow more control and silly laws like this to creep in.
Any person with a brain will know of these buttons. They should learn to use them.
[IMG]http://www.cefls.org/images/esenior_power_button2.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http://puu.sh/7KEi6/a065493113.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
You should not have to just give up using a service to stop harassment although obviously the block button should be used when available.
In any case, as long as it's only used for serious problems I'm fine with this, I don't think threats or harassment should become a non-issue when sent through a computer.
[QUOTE=orcywoo6;44363521]Shit like this gets me so livid. All it does is allow more control and silly laws like this to creep in.
Any person with a brain will know of these buttons. They should learn to use them.
[IMG]http://www.cefls.org/images/esenior_power_button2.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http://puu.sh/7KEi6/a065493113.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
it isn't really that simple sometimes.
[QUOTE=Grindigo;44363486]Hearing something along the lines from judge would be hysterical "you have committed hundred counts of trolling acts" then you face 2 years of jail time, justice served well.[/QUOTE]
Judge: Prosecutor, please read the defendant the comments that were supposedly written by him.
Prosecutor: *Ahem*, Yes your honor. In 'CounterStrike: Global Offensive'.
10:58 AM: wow get #rekt other team u suck donkey balls.
10:59 AM: WOW HE'S FUCKING AIMBOTTING, HOW THE FUCK DID HE SHOOT ME.
11:01 AM: wtf why did we lose to those faggots
11:02 AM: ur all faggots, i hate you all. my team sucked and the enemy team sucked.
Moments later the Defendant switched to LoL where he continued his rantings.
11:10 AM: Hey scrub stop feeding. ur ruining the game.
11:13 AM: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL FEEDING FROM. YOU SUCK AT THIS GAME.
11:14 AM: YOU KNOW WHAT IM GOING 2 REPORT U FOR FEEDING. FUCK YOU. YOU SUCK.
Do you deny writing these comments Defendant?
[QUOTE=Trekintosh;44363483]Okay, before everyone goes "lol half the internet's gonna go to jail," there's a difference between going "lol fag" once or twice to stalking someone constantly leaving them with no safe refuge where they can feel good about themselves.[/QUOTE]
Will the judges make a distinction here though? Its a fine line and I'm not sure how the rules are worded.
Everytime I hear the word I think about this tweet
[img]http://i.imgur.com/W1zk4ZF.png[/img]
[QUOTE=orcywoo6;44363521]Shit like this gets me so livid. All it does is allow more control and silly laws like this to creep in.
Any person with a brain will know of these buttons. They should learn to use them.
[IMG]http://www.cefls.org/images/esenior_power_button2.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http://puu.sh/7KEi6/a065493113.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
This doesn't work when some people are bombarded by email, phone, social networks. What are you suppose to do, change all your details and your name?
Have fun trying to detain the entirety of APB: Reloaded's online community.
Trolling is an felony.
this video comes to mind:
[video=youtube;Z_ZiRT8Nwkk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ZiRT8Nwkk[/video]
[QUOTE=orcywoo6;44363521]Shit like this gets me so livid. All it does is allow more control and silly laws like this to creep in.
Any person with a brain will know of these buttons. They should learn to use them.
[IMG]http://www.cefls.org/images/esenior_power_button2.JPG[/IMG]
[IMG]http://puu.sh/7KEi6/a065493113.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
i forgot pushing block stops them spreading rumors about you, and making up lies and photoshopping you! oops!
[QUOTE=Mike Tyson;44363855]i forgot pushing block stops them spreading rumors about you, and making up lies and photoshopping you! oops! time to remove any internet interaction[/QUOTE]
People can spread rumors and make up lies without using the internet, you know.
[QUOTE=Sparrowhawk;44363898]People can spread rumors and make up lies without using the internet, you know.[/QUOTE]
no shit. pushing block doesnt stop that. would you recommend to a kid being physically bullied to just not go to school?
I think if people stopped using the term 'cyber-bullying' people would take shit like this more seriously. It's still bullying, whether it occurs physically or through the internet.
[QUOTE=Mike Tyson;44363918]no shit. pushing block doesnt stop that. would you recommend to a kid being physically bullied to just not go to school?[/QUOTE]
What would you recommend someone being bullied in school to do? I'd really love to hear what you have to say. I was bullied a lot. In fact, I left in my junior year to be homeschooled because I developed pretty horrible social anxiety. Just being around people I didn't know made me feel so uncomfortable that I'd get physically sick. Since you seem to have all of the answers, please tell me what should have been done.
[QUOTE=Sparrowhawk;44364045]What would you recommend someone being bullied in school to do? I'd really love to hear what you have to say. I was bullied a lot. In fact, I left in my junior year to be homeschooled because I developed pretty horrible social anxiety. Just being around people I didn't know made me feel so uncomfortable that I'd get physically sick. Since you seem to have all of the answers, please tell me what should have been done.[/QUOTE]
i never said i had all the answers, but i can tell you going "block them" isnt the answer to anything.
[QUOTE=Mike Tyson;44364162]i never said i had all the answers, but i can tell you going "block them" isnt the answer to anything.[/QUOTE]
I do agree with that. I dunno. I just don't understand how this law will work. I mean obviously it's a good thing for online sexual harassment, but if I called someone a dick in a video game or something I'd be pretty pissed if they took me to court for it.
I wouldn't think the cyber bullies would survive long in jail either
[QUOTE=Mike Tyson;44363855]i forgot pushing block stops them spreading rumors about you, and making up lies and photoshopping you! oops![/QUOTE]
At some point, you have to stop minding everything that people could say about you or you'll just end up being paranoiac.
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