Internet Trolling...should it be a criminal offence

[Ghogiel]

We have criminals here if 'You let your dad down i hope you know that.' is criminal posting on teh netz.

[Beriallord]

Individual websites can set whatever rules they want, but general freedom of speech doesn't mean you have the right to not be offended. So any laws making "trolling" illegal, is just a slap in the face to free speech.

 

It sounds to me like there is no such thing as free speech in England.

 

Even if there is free speech, that doesn't mean there aren't consequences for what you say, you can be ostracized by your peers if you say something incredibly ignorant or even racist. Laws to reprimand these people isn't really needed. Freedom of speech also means you are free to speak and make yourself look like a fool.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Beriallord

[ginnyfizz]

There is a lot worse trolling than that which goes on, believe me I know. Whilst that quoted remark was unpleasant and moronic, the remarks were made by a disturbed individual who apparently refuses to take his medication, so with a bit of luck he will get sectioned (detained in a psychiatric unit) under the Mental Health Act and thereby get some help.

 

The instance where I could see perhaps some change in the law working as regards trolling are the instances where the trolling constitutes the civil tort of defamation of character. There may have been no physical threat, no blackmail attempt, no incitement to racial/religious/sexuality related hatred. But what trolls can do is post scandalous, scurrilous and downright untrue things about their victim which could conceivably get them into deep trouble with their employer and maybe even with the police. However, to sue for libel is notoriously expensive in Britain, with the awards for damages being correspondingly high. Some change so that someone who has been seriously trolled and suffered loss as a result would have easier access to the courts to bring action for defamation would be good. Then if they won their case, if say they had actually been arrested by the police as a result of the lying little troll, their winning in the civil case would probably mean the police would settle a wrongful arrest case AND nick the troll for wasting their time.

 

Berialord said

 

"It sounds to me like there is no such thing as free speech in England. That's nonsense, because as you say yourself.....

 

Even if there is free speech, that doesn't mean there aren't consequences for what you say, you can be ostracized by your peers if you say something incredibly ignorant or even racist. Laws to reprimand these people isn't really needed. Freedom of speech also means you are free to speak and make yourself look like a fool. "

 

Read what I posted. You can make yourself look as much of an ass as you like, but free speech does NOT give you the right to bring another individual into "Hatred, contempt or ridicule" (from the definition of defamation), because what you say can cause someone very serious losses - their job, their home, their health. There was a case in Britain where a paediatrician was hounded out of her home because some ignorant morons didn't know the difference between paediatrician and paedophile.

[Nintii]

For a start there is no such thing as "freedom of speech" to begin with anyway ... nowhere in the entire world as a matter of fact can you say "whatever you want to".

That's a myth ... there "are" restrictions as to what you can say.

If you doubt me then walk into a crowded police station and start using filthy language, racist slogans etc., at one of the cops present in front of everyone ... and then tell yourself it's all going to be fine ... no action is going to be taken against you because they respect your right to freedom of speech.

Tonight you're going to be Bubba's girlfriend :biggrin: guaranteed and tomorrow night it's going to be .........................

 

Or, walk up to your neighbour and say whatever you choose ... you'd get sued.

It's called defamation of character, it's called hate speech ... get the picture ... so get over the illusion that you can ... say whatever you want, to whomever you want, whenever you want and get away with it.

 

Secondly, you curtail your own right to freedom of speech anyway ... that's right.

For many of you it's your boss, your religious leader, your school principal, your lecturer at "Uni", or maybe it's your mother or father and the list goes on ...

Hey, why not try it here, that's right, do it right here and right now, and see where that gets you ... as a matter of fact if you're a poster anywhere on the Nexus you

should have realised by now that you "cannot" excise that illusiory right here ... and guess what, you obey.

 

So that being the case that there is no real freedom of speech to begin with and that you curtail your own self ... why then would you want to curse someone online that you cannot see or cannot see you ?

I find that cowardly.

This has got nothing to do with the "last bastion" of freedom, the internet, it has everything to do with respect.

 

Even though I do agree with HeyYou that it is going to be a problem to enforce it across borders, I still think that wherever possible, people have the right to sue you if you cross the boundaries of Law, common decency and respect.

And so, if you can pursue the offender then do so and sue their pants off.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Nintii

[HeyYou]

There is already such a law:

 

Teenager Arrested In England For Criticizing Olympic Athlete On Twitter

 

http://www.guardian....weets-tom-daley

 

Wow..... so, simply being offensive is enough to get you arrested now? Are they also going to start arresting obnoxious drunks that keep hitting on the same woman, even after she said no? I will grant, that the 'tweet' sent by the teen was out of line, but, seriously? Arrest him for it??? Wow. Have we all grown so thin-skinned, we need a law to protect us from punks on the internet??

[ginnyfizz]

No, if you look at what I am saying, it is that there are cases where the existing law may be appropriate - the one quoted not being one of them. The problem is that where the "Little people" without a great fat bank account are the ones that get trolled to the extent that they suffer loss, which might be their job, their home, their relationship, and their reputation, they may not be able to afford to go to law to try and stop the rot.

 

It is a mistake to arrest a disturbed young lad for merely being offensive. It is equally a mistake to assume that trolling invariably goes no further than that. Believe me, it can get pretty sinister.

[Deleted472477User]

I'm pretty lucky overall with regards to trolls, but the two I had were especially nasty. One trolled me about my writing (not my writing per se, but personal attacks at me triggered by my writing) so badly that it made me block for four years. The worse situation was enduring three years of trolling attacks from a friend who'd turned against me because he couldn't handle that I was going through a very rough time in life. I can understand not being able to handle that, especially if the person was going on about it a lot (I was) but the answer is to end the friendship and move on, not viciously attack them anonymously via their LiveJournal. I was having to block him 2-3 times a week there, and they finally got off their butts and IP banned him, and that solved it. I knew it was him because he also started trolling a friend of mine who was his friend until he went into a-hole mode, and because little hints here and there of things I'd said when he was still a friend.

 

Would I want to see such a law in place? I don't know. I handled their bs as well as I could, but then I think of that poor teenage girl who was driven to suicide...by a hellhag of an adult woman trolling her, no less. I don't think there is any good answer, unfortunately :(

[Syco21]

There is a lot worse trolling than that which goes on, believe me I know. Whilst that quoted remark was unpleasant and moronic, the remarks were made by a disturbed individual who apparently refuses to take his medication, so with a bit of luck he will get sectioned (detained in a psychiatric unit) under the Mental Health Act and thereby get some help.

Are you talking about the boy that said "you let your father down" or something else I missed?

[ginnyfizz]

Yes, that one, I believe he has ADD, Aspergers and a whole host of problems, and his family have pleaded for him to have some help in the past, as he will not take his meds and takes no notice of them.

[Syco21]

So his comment is evidence that he should be imprisoned?