Following the news that lawyers will be advised to prosecute “trolls” who use fake online profiles to harass others, I’d like to share with you the following insights from Lee Munson, Researcher at Comparitech.com:
“The fact that the Crown Prosecution Service is considering charging online trolls who create fake profiles is, by and large, to be welcomed.
“While existing legislation already allows for prosecutions in the most serious of cases, such as the systematic abuse of journalist Caroline Criado-Perez and MP Stella Creasy on Twitter, it is not much help to lower profile victims of what can only be described as a hate crime.
“Considering how widespread the problem is, it will be interesting to see just how many cases an overworked judiciary system can cope with but, at the least, this move should send out a message that will deter a proportion of online abusers who lack the skills required to mask their identities.
“On the flip-side, I can only hope the legal profession do not see the new guidelines as a carte blanche opportunity to out all anonymous posters or target parody accounts – after all, none of us in the information security industry would wish to see the end of Swift On Security, would we?”
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