Senator Lorraine Higgins wants to introduce a bill to jail trolls!

Montroseee wrote: »

I'd 100% support her proposal, it's badly needed IMO.

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

That electronic communication/harassment law is definitely due an upgrade.

Our position is that in the areas of bullying, harassment and hate speech, two offences exist which are already technology-neutral and can apply to online communication. Better enforcement of these laws will safeguard freedom of expression and privacy online while allowing ample scope for prosecution against those bullying and harassing others online.

In the case of children and young people being bullied by their peers, it is the Committee‘s opinion that these matters are best dealt with outside the courts system unless they involve cases which are persistent or unresponsive to other forms of intervention. Some cases may be best dealt with within schools, as is increasingly done in the USA where cyberbullying (even if it occurs outside school time) is seen as disruptive to the learning environment.

Where cases arise which need a stronger response, the Committee is satisfied that there is already legislation in place to deal with cyberbullying though identification and follow-through of cyberbullying remains a problem. However, the costs involved in pursuing a case through the courts may be prohibitive and this is a matter which requires further examination.

A problem identified by the Committee is the lack of a central agency or body charged with managing the reports relating to claims that social media users have been engaging in cyberbullying or other inappropriate behaviour. This has been left to the social media companies themselves.

Mr. Paul C Dwyer of the National Anti-Bullying Coalition told the Committee that one social network provider received some 100,000 requests per day but had just 90 people to deal with such requests.

The Office for Internet Safety is an Executive Office of the Department of Justice and Equality and has been established by the Government to take the lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly in relation to children.1 However, the OIS does not have a formal regulatory role; its primary function is to monitor the current self-regulatory model agreed with Internet Service Providers. The OIS also coordinates the Safer Internet Centre and the Safer Internet Ireland Project.

The Committee is concerned that the OIS is not sufficiently developed to deal with the threats posed by the misuse of social media. At present the OIS has a low profile in many quarters. It therefore needs to increase its profile and establish a greater presence on the internet.