Police to get tough on internet trolls.

[Carth]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

Is there such a thing as a good woke/pc joke

I'm struggling on that one . . give me a couple of years

[RichardCoulter]

In a good sign that the police are taking trolling much more seriously, BBC lunchtime news is reporting that 11 people (10 male and 1 female) have been arrested for racist trolling following the Euro 2020 final.

They are currently investigating another 207 possible criminal offences and 35 social media accounts are under investigation. Another 50 are awaiting details from their ISP providers. 123 accounts are abroad and details have been referred to the relevant police forces.

The perpetrators are aged between 21 and 50, showing that this behaviour isn't coming from one particular age group or is soley confined to males. The result of their actions has led to, amongst other things, the loss of jobs, withdrawal of university places etc.

The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) commissioned research into online trolling and found that, in some cases, this had increased by as much as 48% and includes racism, sexism, homophobia and anti disability hate. As a result the PFA is concerned that there is still not enough being done about this problem. Having met with the PFA some time ago, i'm pleased to see that their words are being translated into actions.

Further evidence is being sought to add weight to aid in any prosecutions.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Damien

It really depends on what they mean by 'troll'. Those of us who've been on the internet for a long time define troll as someone who says something relatively harmless but designed to provoke a reaction, i.e. someone on a forum who intentionally spouts nonsense to get a rise out of people.

However the media has taken troll to mean someone who tweets, most often it's a tweet otherwise a Facebook comment/message, rape or death threats to someone. Whilst discussion on the internet used to be confined to random and anonymous people who largely knew what they were getting into it's now a part of life for 'normal' people who don't expect the abuse that comes with the internet because of the aforementioned anonymous people. They've quite rightly come to the conclusion that the way they're addressed is simply not on.

Go to a prominent woman's twitter account and see their replies, especially if they've posted an opinion on politics or feminism, it's awful. These people aren't trolls as we would know them but nasty, disturbed, people.

We should work on the assumption that if you wouldn't write it in a letter to someone or say it to their face then neither is it acceptable online.

Some shocking revelations about what some are saying to women in this Panorama programme 'Why Do You Hate Me?'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...do-you-hate-me

I have a rule that I mostly observe. Don’t read the comments. I am much happier for it.

Dont use twatter, fakebook or instacrap and you'll defintely be much happier.

They are the worse thing ever to happen to the internet.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Paul

Dont use twatter, fakebook or instacrap and you'll defintely be much happier.

They are the worse thing ever to happen to the internet.

Don't mind twitter, have never seen what all the fuss is with it though, never really seen or received any abuse on there

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Paul

Dont use twatter, fakebook or instacrap and you'll defintely be much happier.

They are the worse thing ever to happen to the internet.

The worse thing the internet ever did was to convince people that just because they have an opinion they also have the right for it to be heard.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Russ

The worse thing the internet ever did was to convince people that just because they have an opinion they also have the right for it to be heard.

Too right, imho

[Blackshep]

We will protect people so much on the internet soon there will be no free speech oh for the days of " I can be offended by what your saying but have to support your right to say it" free speech is gone now I can't help help think the cure was worse then disease.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Blackshep

We will protect people so much on the internet soon there will be no free speech oh for the days of " I can be offended by what your saying but have to support your right to say it" free speech is gone now I can't help help think the cure was worse then disease.

In this country we have (and will continue to have) free speech within defined parameters of appropriateness when the Onine Harms Bill becomes law.

[Carth]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

In this country we have (and will continue to have) free speech within defined parameters of appropriateness when the Onine Harms Bill becomes law.

Yeah, like China does

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Carth

Yeah, like China does

We will have the right balance between people being allowed to freely express their views, whilst preventing those who wish to continue to abuse the right to free speech by bullying, insulting and belittling others- often those in minority or disadvantaged groups.

Calls were recently made to require website owners to verify and keep a register of users on their sites to put an end to anonymity on the internet. If these pathetic cowards have to put their real names to their comments, you just watch how fast they change their ways.

Those who don't do anything inappropriate on the internet have nothing to fear, in fact they probably won't even notice any difference.

Some trolls have been hunted down and have been found to have responsible jobs, some even in the caring sector! Their friends, family & neighbours were shocked and came out with such gems as "She seemed like such a nice woman", "He was so quiet & timid".

My own belief is that a lot of them are inadequate people who have no real influence or haven't succeeded in life. They are often unemployed, in dead end jobs or are dominated by their partner. Some no longer feel relevant and realise they have passed their peak because they have retired.

They seek to feel powerful by hurting others in order to convince themselves that they have any relevance at all.

My own belief is that a lot of them are inadequate people who have no real influence or haven't succeeded in life. They are often unemployed, in dead end jobs or are dominated by their partner. Some no longer feel relevant and realise they have passed their peak because they have retired.

That probably says more about you (and your beliefs) than you realise…

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Hugh

That probably says more about you (and your beliefs) than you realise…

What do you believe it says about me and my beliefs?

What do you think are the reasons why people harass & bully others on the internet?

[Blackshep]

Real free speech means a person being able to express any views or opinions regardless of others, you don't have to like or agree with people but constantly restricting what can be said and making it a criminal offence doesn't alleviate the problem. It drives it underground with groups of like minded individuals living in echo chambers with nobody to confront them. If your a sensitive person or somebody who allows words on the internet to negatively impact you avoid those words or develop coping mechanisms as it used to be rather then impacting the majority of people.

When I started going on the internet in the early 90's people told me it wasn't the place for the thin skinned and in the years since I've received a lot of abuse and some death threats but never have I thought about getting them silenced or involving the police. How far do we go?, where does it stop? speech with restrictions is clearly not free speech no matter how hard you delude yourself it is Richard and your personal view of what types of people you want to silence show an unpleasant aspect of you.