UK Election Watchdog Suggests Banning Internet Trolls from Voting
23 replies, posted
[quote= The Guardian]Banning social media trolls from voting could help reduce the amount of abuse faced by politicians, the election watchdog has said.
The Electoral Commission says legislation around elections should be reviewed and new offences could be introduced.
They say some electoral offences can result in an offender being disqualified from voting or from registering to vote. Such deterrents could be considered to stop abusive people, the submission says.[/quote]
[url]https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/18/ban-social-media-trolls-from-voting-election-watchdog-suggests?CMP=twt_gu[/url]
The UK literally wants to ban people from voting for trolling MPs on social media. The examples the article uses are of extreme cases, but considering the UK's draconian laws banning "offensive" speech, this kind of legislation would be an absolute affront to British democracy. Proposals like this are why I question if we should even consider the UK a "free" country anymore. I have great difficulty calling a country that wants to ban encrypted social media and chat programs, that arrests people for calling police horses gay, whose police force threatens to arrest social media trolls on twitter and tell people that even if they didn't intend for something to be offensive if it's taken as offence that person could be arrested, who arrests a man for dressing his girlfriend's dog up like a Nazi as a joke and charges him with hate crimes, who has banned nearly all guns and now has active campaigns against knives, and now who is pondering the idea of shitting all over democracy, a free country.
Okay, I get the idea behind this.
[quote]One Labour MP said someone had threatened to bomb her office, and another MP claimed to have had a “bottle smashed on me”.[/quote]
I mean, shit like this is just NOT okay. But I can only call this misguided and even that's being charitable.
How many British men and women will be banned from the booth because they posted a sarcastic meme about their elected dudes
[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;52697901]Okay, I get the idea behind this.
I mean, shit like this is just NOT okay. But I can only call this misguided and even that's being charitable.[/QUOTE]
ya i mean that is a crime to threaten to commit an act of terror. banning the nebulous concept of trolls is just a bad idea
[QUOTE=Stroheim;52697911]How many British men and women will be banned from the booth because they posted a sarcastic meme about their elected dudes[/QUOTE]
It'll probably be aimed at those who are mentally unhinged and think sending death threats is normal behaviour. Memes etc will just be discarded and the vote thrown out as normal.
I kind of stand behind the idea in that case. If nothing else has worked to deter people - maybe this will.
It's very much a "Talk shit; Get Hit" kind of approach.
Aren't there better ways to achieve what they want to achieve than to restrict voting?
[QUOTE=Zenamez;52697969]It'll probably be aimed at those who are mentally unhinged and think sending death threats is normal behaviour. Memes etc will just be discarded and the vote thrown out as normal.
I kind of stand behind the idea in that case. If nothing else has worked to deter people - maybe this will.
It's very much a "Talk shit; Get Hit" kind of approach.[/QUOTE]
Are you fucking kidding me? Threatening to bomb someone is not trolling, it's a crime, and that person should be arrested in turn. What banning "trolls" means is that anyone who makes fun of Theresa May on twitter could be banned from voting for "abusing" a politician. Do you really want that? Because I guarantee you that all the misguided people who think this will benefit them by stopping "right-wing abuse" directed towards Labour politicians will be furious when they find themselves barred from voting for throwing the same "abuse" at Conservative politicians.
Hmmm vaguely worded legislation that effects voting eligibility and would primarily effect regular internet users.
Do you want to give the Tories another underhanded avenue to victory?
The actions described in the article aren't fucking ~trolling~. Trolling is being annoying on the internet not fucking threats and outright assault.
[QUOTE=Vodkavia;52698100]I didn't realize masking what you do as a meme was a one size fits all get out of jail free card.[/QUOTE]
How about this: you talk shit about the current MP because of whatever asinine thing they've recently pulled (e.g. tax cuts for the rich), and you lose your right to vote because you're being a big meanie on the internet.
Absolutely not abusable, no siree bob.
Bollocks to that, I piss on May and the Tories on any occasion my country crops up in conversation the rich, blue fucks.
[QUOTE=DaCommie1;52697999]Are you fucking kidding me? Threatening to bomb someone is not trolling, it's a crime, and that person should be arrested in turn. What banning "trolls" means is that anyone who makes fun of Theresa May on twitter could be banned from voting for "abusing" a politician. Do you really want that? Because I guarantee you that all the misguided people who think this will benefit them by stopping "right-wing abuse" directed towards Labour politicians will be furious when they find themselves barred from voting for throwing the same "abuse" at Conservative politicians.[/QUOTE]
See I'd agree with their stance about trolling if it was to get after those who go "close to the bone" with people (laughing at someone (and mocking them) who has died close to them, driving them to suicide etc) but after re-reading [B][I]THEIR[/I][/B] definition of trolling - hah no. Try again Theresa.
[URL="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/theresa-may-election-latest-internet-regulation-downing-street-speech-manifesto-a7783186.html"]Hell, she's already tried forcing this ignorant (and technophobic) approach to censoring the internet (removing websites she doesn't agree with etc)[/URL] under the guise of "but terrorists!" so this doesn't come as a surprise.
It's actually pretty worrying there's idiots out there who are calling people terrorists in disguise because they don't agree with her draconian approach to the internet (although these people are mainly old bastards who haven't got long left anyway).
I'm not exactly sure trolling really helps the democracy of the UK, besides that being bannable on pretty much any social media already. It sounds like a very bold step forward but i'm not sure it will really achieve what it sets out to accomplish, people that don't/can't vote already won't be affected, essentially it'd weed out some trolls but still leave the MPs vulnerable to being trolled.
They might as well just implement a system for social media that has a censor approve your particular message towards an MP and replace all the profanities with a kind compliment or just remove them entirely, but even then they'll still get instances of abuse coming through. Haha what a ridiculous rule.
[QUOTE=Chopstick;52698504]I'm not exactly sure trolling really helps the democracy of the UK, besides that being bannable on pretty much any social media already. It sounds like a very bold step forward but i'm not sure it will really achieve what it sets out to accomplish, people that don't/can't vote already won't be affected, essentially it'd weed out some trolls but still leave the MPs vulnerable to being trolled.
They might as well just implement a system for social media that has a censor approve your particular message towards an MP and replace all the profanities with a kind compliment or just remove them entirely, but even then they'll still get instances of abuse coming through. Haha what a ridiculous rule.[/QUOTE]
It's being proposed by someone who doesn't actually understand how the internet works and is just part of a long string of censorship attempts (the most recent one apart from this was to shut down companies who don't abide by her censorship rules (removing websites insulting the conservatives for example)).
It's so unbelievably draconian it's amazing. Hell, it's probably worse than the Russian Government trying to ban/outlaw TOR use because it gets around their "blocked website" list.
Like, the words "banning from voting" should throw up every red flag in your head. Like, seriously. That's not something that should ever be put on the table of a democracy.
[QUOTE=DiscoInferno;52698562]Like, the words "banning from voting" should throw up every red flag in your head. Like, seriously. That's not something that should ever be put on the table of a democracy.[/QUOTE]
This. First off, all you need to be able to vote in the UK is citizenship right? Someone remind me of different ways you can lose your right to vote cause I'm pretty sure even prisoners are allowed to vote but I don't know how it works in the UK?
[editline]20th September 2017[/editline]
Like out of everything that could or arguably should make you illegible for voting, does this make any sort of sense?
[QUOTE=DiscoInferno;52698562]Like, the words "banning from voting" should throw up every red flag in your head. Like, seriously. That's not something that should ever be put on the table of a democracy.[/QUOTE]
US takes the right to vote away from some felons already. Not just those in prisons.
I don't think UK prisoners can either. So the precedent is already there technically
[QUOTE=Zenamez;52697969]Memes etc will just be discarded and the vote thrown out as normal. [/QUOTE]
Sorry, Memes will be the first things to be banned. After meme Magic 2016, Memes are now dangerous.
[QUOTE=Ager O'Eggers;52698112]How about this: you talk shit about the current MP because of whatever asinine thing they've recently pulled (e.g. tax cuts for the rich), and you lose your right to vote because you're being a big meanie on the internet.
Absolutely not abusable, no siree bob.[/QUOTE]
Worth pointing out that the use of "troll" in the Guardian's article seems to be used to describe people who sent either abusive or outright death threats against politicians. Not just bullshit internet meme trolling.
Death threats against politicians are a crime anyway - and they can't vote from prison in this country.
[editline]20th September 2017[/editline]
I suppose it COULD make sense for the penalty for political violence to be political disenfranchisement though.
Disenfranchising voters? They can fuck off, particularly if the Tories have any say in this. Perhaps some (not saying all, most don't deserve it) MPs should improve their policies and do more to represent their constituents instead of working against their interests instead.
Par for the course under the current UK government, sadly. Not sure what you'd expect from a government headed by a PM that openly advocates changing human rights laws to let her get away with more shit.
that'd be wonderful, then the government could flag anyone who doesn't want what they want as a "troll"
fucking great idea there lads!
fuck off
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.