ipl-logo

Policing Abuse Committed On Social Media Essay

1168 Words5 Pages

Policing Abuse Committed on Social Media
In this literature review, I will be analysing how the police and other criminal justice organisations can deal with offences committed on social media whilst also reviewing currents laws, to determine if new legislation is needed to combat offences committed on social media, or if current laws in place are sufficient.
As social media continues expanding into more facets of daily life with more frequent communication through digital platforms, offences once only confined to the physical world such as intimidation, abusive language, blackmail and harassment have now moved into chat rooms, emails and other forms of social media (BBC NEWS, 2014).
However, combatting offensive behaviour on social media whilst not infringing on a person’s Freedom of Expression can be challenging. The Human Rights Act 1998 is the safeguard to prevent this infringement; one particularly pertinent act is Article 10 Freedom of expression. …show more content…

There are instances when governments and law enforcement agencies can curtail that right if the expression being shared is one that damages public moral, and the reputations of others (Great Britain, Lords Select Communications committee, 2014). It is the duty of the police to find a careful balance when providing justice to those wronged online, without setting too low a precedent and prosecuting en masse anyone who may have said anything unnecessarily and potentially hurtful. The authorities must determine the severity of incidents and whether they are damaging enough to warrant prosecution, but also at what point an incident can no longer be tolerated as a factually inaccurate honest

Open Document