By C1 Staff
UNITED KINGDOM — New government proposals outlined on Sunday would put internet trolls behind bars for two years, following high-profile cases of abuse on Twitter.
Phys Org reports that Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said “this is a law to combat cruelty – and marks our determination to take a stand against a baying cyber-mob.”
The growing issue of internet trolls who post hate-filled messages on social media has become an increasing concern in Britain; the parents of missing Madeline McCann are among the most recent victims. 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,” said Grayling.
“That is why we are determined to quadruple the current six-month sentence.”
Though victims of online harassment have welcomed moves to take such threats seriously, freedom of speech campaigners have previously warned that criminal sanctions should be the last resort.
“Do we want to criminalize every social conduct that we find problematic?” asked Barbora Bukovska, a senior director at campaign group ARTICLE 19.