Internet Trolls to Get Jail Time in the UK

[N2NH]

And they mean it too...

People found guilty of internet "trolling" in Britain could be jailed for up to two years under new government proposals, following a number of high-profile cases of abusive and threatening behaviour on Twitter. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "This is a law to combat cruelty — and marks our determination to take a stand against a baying cyber mob."
There has been increasing concern in Britain about the growing scourge of internet "trolls" who post hate-filled messages on social media, often threatening their targets.
The parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann are among the most recent victims, and last month a man was jailed for 18 weeks for what prosecutors described as "a campaign of hatred" against a female lawmaker.

"These internet trolls are cowards who are poisoning our national life. No one would permit such venom in person, so there should be no place for it on social media," Grayling said on Sunday.
"That is why we are determined to quadruple the current six-month sentence."

The UK is presently looking to put more teeth in the law. Jail terms will be up to 2 years and the statute of limitations will be extended from 6 months to 3 years.

Trollers beware. Today the UK, and tomorrow? Who knows?

Britain proposes jail for internet trolls

[n2ize]

Seems like this might be hard to enforce. First what constitutes trolling ? Some may say mere sarcasm. Some may define disagreement with another's point of view as trolling. Even choice of words. Trolling is very subjective and any law to combat it is going to have to have some very well defined criteria for exactly what is considered trolling and what isn't on which everyone can agree. And since the Internet is a world wide phenomenon how are they going to handle trolling that comes from outside of the UK ? Are the governments of those countries going to be willing to extradite suspected trolls to the UK to face charges ?

P.S. consider a country that practices Sharia law and what they would consider to be "trolling".

[WØTKX]

You'd both better change yer ways.

[NQ6U]

You'd both better change yer ways.

Beat me to it, ya bastid.

[K7SGJ]

Seems like this might be hard to enforce. First what constitutes trolling ? Some may say mere sarcasm. Some may define disagreement with another's point of view as trolling. Even choice of words. Trolling is very subjective and any law to combat it is going to have to have some very well defined criteria for exactly what is considered trolling and what isn't on which everyone can agree. And since the Internet is a world wide phenomenon how are they going to handle trolling that comes from outside of the UK ? Are the governments of those countries going to be willing to extradite suspected trolls to the UK to face charges ?

P.S. consider a country that practices Sharia law and what they would consider to be "trolling".

Rumor has it, that your posts are going to be the standard that other trolls will be held to. Pip pip, cheerio and all that rot. :stirpot:

[WØTKX]

'IzE make me laugh, usually. He knows damn well when he's trolling.

He could write for the Borowitz Report.

[N2CHX]

'IzE make me laugh, usually. He knows damn well when he's trolling.

He could write for the Borowitz Report.

That right there. His trolls go right over a lot of heads. His posts are kinda like those "When you see it..." picture memes.

[N8YX]

Welp, that'll surely fix all the Internet's problems.

NOT.

[w0aew]

P.S. consider a country that practices Sharia law and what they would consider to be "trolling".

They'd consider electricity trolling.

[K7SGJ]

They'd consider electricity trolling.

They have electricity? Who Gnu?