[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/19269353[/url]
[quote=Newsbeat][B]Police and prosecutors in the UK are accused of being "incredibly heavy-handed" when dealing with online trolls and abusive messages.[/B]
It follows several cases where young people have been arrested, fined or jailed after posting insulting comments on their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Campaign groups and experts from Oxford University say the punishments are heavier than in other countries.
But police insist if a law is broken they will take action.
[B]Freedom of speech[/B]
Three weeks ago Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley received a message about his dad, who died last year.
Following that a 17-year-old was arrested in Weymouth.
His computer and phone were seized and he was given a harassment warning, which will stay on his record.
The UK is one of the world's top tweeting countries along with Japan, Spain and the US.
Lucia lives in Valladolid in Spain and says: "I don't think these comments are good but I don't think people should go to jail. In Spain it's not happened."
Miyu, from Japan, called the UK's approach "surprising" and says: "It's difficult, but I think being arrested is too serious because it's [only] Twitter."
Laura from Washington DC believes it would never happen in the US because they "emphasis freedom of speech, which I think is important. It's translated over to Twitter as well".
Official figures showing how many arrests have been made over online comments don't exist.
Instead police record arrests under different categories depending on what is posted.
For example, it could be incitement to racial hatred or harassment.
[B]Heavy-handed[/B]
Bernie Hogan from the Oxford Internet Institute monitors what happens in other countries.
He said that although the UK was "leading the way" in cracking down on this type of online abuse, by comparison "we are incredibly heavy-handed".
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) disagrees.
In a statement is says: "People have a right to publish their views but when these views become indecent, threatening or offensive then the individuals they affect also have the right to report them.
"The police will assist with any prosecution."
The Campaign Against Censorship says often a joke or sarcasm is misread, especially when people only have 140 characters.
Index, which campaigns for freedom of expression, say the cases are "silly" and the police only pursues them because they are "easy prosecutions".[/quote]
Trolling =/= Cyber bullying.
Although I'm sure you guys all know this.
[QUOTE=MasterFen007;37341749]Trolling =/= Cyber bullying.
Although I'm sure you guys all know this.[/QUOTE]
Both could be prevented, however. It's real life bullying that's the problem.
"Oh noes, a stranger said bad things about me online"
Taking someone to the catacombs for something as trivial as that is like convicting a man for littering a piece of paper.
You shouldn't get offended that badly over what people, you don't even know, say about you.
Someone shouldn't be that concerned with their self-image unless their narcissistic.
[b][i][u]DON'T WORRY,HERE COME THE HURT FEELINGS POLICE![/u][/i][/b]
[QUOTE=jaykray;37341758][video=youtube;wxQvelWsruc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxQvelWsruc[/video][/QUOTE]
That guy obviously doesn't give a shit, and why would he.
Freedom of speech also includes saying "rot in piss filthy nigger".
[QUOTE=MitchvW;37342847]That guy obviously doesn't give a shit, and why would he.
Freedom of speech also includes saying "rot in piss filthy nigger".[/QUOTE]
The UK doesn't have absolute freedom of speech.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;37342957]The UK doesn't have absolute freedom of speech.[/QUOTE]
In the same way no where does?
Can say anything as long as it doesn't insight hatred
wat
[QUOTE=MitchvW;37342847]That guy obviously doesn't give a shit, and why would he.
Freedom of speech also includes saying "rot in piss filthy nigger".[/QUOTE]
Not in the UK.
Though to be honest I don't think that's a bad thing. I don't mind a small amount of censorship if it stops assholes like the WBC.
[QUOTE=MitchvW;37342847]That guy obviously doesn't give a shit, and why would he.
Freedom of speech also includes saying "rot in piss filthy nigger".[/QUOTE]
Freedom of speech does not cover hate speech.
im fine with trolls getting trolled
what is trolling?
[QUOTE=Kwaq;37344059]what is trolling?[/QUOTE]
I think its when you hide under peoples bridges without consent.
[QUOTE=Kwaq;37344059]what is trolling?[/QUOTE]
Anything other than complete praise of a human being online.
[QUOTE=legolover122;37344272]Anything other than complete praise of a human being online.[/QUOTE]
I'd say now it's more at the point of "If you don't agree with me you're a troll, what's this? Something thing called banter, no you're a troll"
[QUOTE=gazzy_GUI;37344482]I'd say now it's more at the point of "If you don't agree with me you're a troll, what's this? Something thing called banter, no you're a troll"[/QUOTE]
Urgh "banter".
Anyway, this happened recently, but nothing came of it because the guy's rich.
[url]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2186269/Big-Brother-contestant-Kenneth-Tong-sends-vile-tweets-Gary-Barlow-stillborn-child.html[/url]
[IMG]http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/25151513.jpg[/IMG]
Best thing to do is sleep on it, I always feel better once I've slept on something that's bothering me. (I don't mean pop a few sleeping pills and go all out Snorlax on the class bully)
On a scale of 1 to America how free are you right now?
[QUOTE=MahBroAdolf;37348636]On a scale of 1 to America how free are you right now?[/QUOTE]
Canada
[QUOTE=MitchvW;37342847]That guy obviously doesn't give a shit, and why would he.
Freedom of speech also includes saying "rot in piss filthy nigger".[/QUOTE]
Freedom of speech has it's limits, inciting hatred and being racist is just two of them.
[QUOTE=dvc;37348743]Canada[/QUOTE]
A 1 for you it is.
[QUOTE=MitchvW;37342847]That guy obviously doesn't give a shit, and why would he.
Freedom of speech also includes saying "rot in piss filthy nigger".[/QUOTE]
"rot in piss filthy nigger" isnt freedom of speech, its illegal.
not harsh enough in my opinion
Its only illegal when you incite violence.
Trolls don't do that.
[QUOTE=jaykray;37341758][video=youtube;wxQvelWsruc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxQvelWsruc[/video][/QUOTE]
I always laugh at how these videos treat their subject as a different species altogheter
"This is the [I]Internet Troll[/I], a ferocious animal when in it's own habitat: the Internet. It can type as fast as 200 KPM and suprise unprepared victims. I'm gonna touch it"
I don't see why there should be any freedom of speech when people talk so much crap anyways.
I wonder how many brit FPers have been arrested/fined, if any
[QUOTE=Gekkosan;37350292]I don't see why there should be any freedom of speech when people talk so much crap anyways.[/QUOTE]
The only crap I can see being said is coming from you.
Verbal abuse is illegal because fuck freedoms of speech and expression, and oh no words hurt me so bad.
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