RIP Song.
Online trolls to be jailed if they cause ‘psychological harm’
Social media users could face up to two years in prison if they knowingly cause ‘psychological harm’ online, it has been reported.
New offences are set to be created by upcoming legislation called the Online Safety Bill.
In its current form, the bill would focus on threatening social media companies with fines of up to £18 million for failing to tackle abuse, but the changes could see individual users prosecuted at a much larger scale.
The new offences include ‘threatening communications’, which covers messages and posts where the author intends their victim to fear a threat will be carried out.
‘Knowingly false communications’ will cover messages users know to be false and are sent with the intention of causing ’emotional, psychological, or physical harm to the likely audience’.
Online trolls to be jailed if they cause ‘psychological harm’
Social media users could face up to two years in prison if they knowingly cause ‘psychological harm’ online, it has been reported.
New offences are set to be created by upcoming legislation called the Online Safety Bill.
In its current form, the bill would focus on threatening social media companies with fines of up to £18 million for failing to tackle abuse, but the changes could see individual users prosecuted at a much larger scale.
The new offences include ‘threatening communications’, which covers messages and posts where the author intends their victim to fear a threat will be carried out.
‘Knowingly false communications’ will cover messages users know to be false and are sent with the intention of causing ’emotional, psychological, or physical harm to the likely audience’.
Online trolls to be jailed if they cause 'psychological harm'
Changes could see social media users prosecuted at a much larger scale.
metro.co.uk