[Omah]

Originally Posted by Chewy

I've noticed a lot of celebrities going on about so called "trolls" lately, and I'm not talking about the people who are rude to them on Twitter, I mean the people who go on forums and say they don't like someone - That's apparently 'trolling' now, even though it's not directly thrown into the celebrities faces, they go out of their way to find it.

The law states :

Defamation is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image. This can be also any disparaging statement made by one person about another, which is communicated or published, whether true or false, depending on legal state. In Common Law it is usually a requirement that this claim be false and that the publication is communicated to someone other than the person defamed (the claimant)

[billy123]

I think a lot of people have misinterpreted this ruling it doesnt mean anybody will get in trouble for being abusive or hateful towards anybody it only concerns people that post things that break the law i.e. racist comments,threats of violence towards somebody and threats of theft or murder etc.
Laws that we are all already subject to the only change is the role of website operators being obliged to co-operate with handing over logs detailing ip addresss and details of the offending material.

[GypsyGoth]

I think this is to stop the families, who have had someone die, being harassed.

[Kazanne]

I agree with the majority on this,Internet trolls are nothing but computer cowards and some of their comments to berieved people for example are sickening,we might have the freedom of speech but if a person cannot talk without being vile then they have no rights on the net,let them go to tell the person to their face !! it would soon stop.

[lostalex]

This is like saying that if a stand up comic gets on stage, anyone who heckles them should be arrested.

[Livia]

Good. There is a place for people sick enough to say some of the things trolls say, and the Internet is not that place.

People do tend to get confused about Freedom of Speech. It does not mean you can blurt out any half-baked, ill-thought through idea that pops into your mind, it is far more intricate than that. You cannot give someone the "freedom" to oppress and violate someone else. I say that not because it is my opinion, I say that as a lawyer.

[ChristmasNeeve]

Originally Posted by Livia

Good. There is a place for people sick enough to say some of the things trolls say, and the Internet is not that place.

People do tend to get confused about Freedom of Speech. It does not mean you can blurt out any half-baked, ill-thought through idea that pops into your mind, it is far more intricate than that. You cannot give someone the "freedom" to oppress and violate someone else. I say that not because it is my opinion, I say that as a lawyer.

Exactly Livia, said far more eloquently than I could

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Exactly Livia, said far more eloquently than I could

Thanks... but not true!

[Marsh.]

I think some people are confusing throwing out an insult with persistent harassment and bullying. It wouldn't be tolerated in the real world so it shouldn't online.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

I think some people are confusing throwing out an insult with persistent harassment and bullying. It wouldn't be tolerated in the real world so it shouldn't online.

Exactly. And also, while I fully support people's freedom to criticise a corrupt regime or to speak out against oppression and injustice, I do not support their freedom to call someone, for instance, a filthy Jew. Trolls need to be made accountable, and I'm sure the vast majority of them would say nothing if they couldn't rely on what they believed to be the anonimity of the Internet.

[ChristmasNeeve]

Originally Posted by Livia

Exactly. And also, while I fully support people's freedom to criticise a corrupt regime or to speak out against oppression and injustice, I do not support their freedom to call someone, for instance, a filthy Jew. Trolls need to be made accountable, and I'm sure the vast majority of them would say nothing if they couldn't rely on what they believed to be the anonimity of the Internet.

Exactly, they're very brave sitting there behind their keyboards

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

Exactly. And also, while I fully support people's freedom to criticise a corrupt regime or to speak out against oppression and injustice, I do not support their freedom to call someone, for instance, a filthy Jew. Trolls need to be made accountable, and I'm sure the vast majority of them would say nothing if they couldn't rely on what they believed to be the anonimity of the Internet.

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Exactly, they're very brave sitting there behind their keyboards

Yeah, that's the point of this particular amendment. I'm sure that Twitter will be next on the list .....

[spitfire]

I will get a life sentance!

[Tom4784]

I think it's pointless and a complete waste of time and resources.