Since the Internet allows anonymity, many exploit it and, hidden behind a computer, act in a very bad way towards third parties, giving a new dimension to the known bullying, the so‑called trolling and the trolls.
The United Kingdom decided that this must stop and raised the penalties for such cases. The Daily Mail reports that those who engage in trolling with the purpose of threatening and frightening their victims face imprisonment of up to two years. This decision was made after a series of serious complaints from individuals who have received serious threats on the internet.
The Minister of Justice Chris Grayling revealed that the six‑month sentence currently in effect will be quadrupled. This legislation, in fact, was called “Chloe’s Law”, after the model Chloe Madeley, who was threatened with rape when her mother, Judy Finnigan, made some negative comments about the footballer and convicted rapist Ched Evans.
Madeley reports that the most terrifying comments she received about this issue came from the Internet, which led her to make it public.
[blockquote]The so‑called Troll, are simply cowards who poison our lives. No one would permit such actions in real life and therefore they should not exist on social media either. For this reason we will quadruple the six‑month penalty that is currently in effect[/blockquote]
, says Grayling. Finally he adds that the British authorities want to send a clear message to those who terrorize the internet in a harsh and degrading manner.
The current legislation has been in effect for at least a decade, which means it is older than modern social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. This is a problem because the phenomenon is observed to a large extent on these two social media, although it is not limited to them.
In recent years, although there has been a significant increase in the phenomenon of bullying on the Internet, there has also been a large rise in the anti‑bullying movement, not only in America but also in many countries around the world. In many cases, teenagers have even reached suicide because they have been threatened online.
Anyway, the motto is: “Don't Feed The Trolls”
