Trolls who impersonate others online could face UK charges
LONDON >> Britain’s prosecution service says people could be charged if they create fake online profiles in order to harass or humiliate others.
The Crown Prosecution Service says it is updating its guidelines to reflect “new and emerging crimes” in the social media age.
Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said Thursday that “we are seeing more and more cases where social media is being used as a method to facilitate both existing and new offenses,” including domestic abuse and violence against women.
The new guidelines say that it may be an offense to create a fake online profile in someone else’s name in order to “damage their reputation and humiliate them.”
Prosecutors are starting a six-week public consultation on revising the rules for online crime, which were last updated in 2012.
4 responses to “Trolls who impersonate others online could face UK charges”
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seems illegal unless one can prove criminal intent
The UK has different guidelines for some areas of criminal jurisprudence then the US. Examples are Official Secrets and some kinds of warrantless searches. (see the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.)
Illegal unless done by criminals? Imagine that…
“New offenses” as defined in England are acts to humiliate individuals using false identities. More like bullying tactics over individuals with little knowledge to defend themselves absent internet know-how?