Pros And Cons Of Internet Vigilantism

While Internet vigilantism is a newer concept, it is widely recognized. I feel comfortable arguing that almost everyone in America today has been involved in, witnessed, or heard of some form of internet vigilantism. Examples of online vigilantes range from protesters organizing and sending out a petition, activists seeking out child predators and terrorists, and individuals exposing another persons personal information with the intent of shame in retribution for any deviant act. A popular example of online vigilantism occurred in 2012 after the Amanda Todd incident. After Amanda’s struggle with online blackmail and harassment, she committed suicide. An online activist group exposed a man’s identity and claimed he was responsible for the events surround the

There have been dozens of court cases against vigilantes taking matters into their own hands and deciding that death was the only justifiable punishment. As previously mentioned, the internet has far less regulations than the outside world. Due to this, laws are still being put in place and boundaries are being tested for vigilantism and freedom of speech on the internet. Beyond law officials, the community’s reaction to internet vigilantism is usually one of acceptance. When a vigilante acts out in hopes of justice, the community will typically agree with them and begin to hate the devious behavior of the offender. Recently, in my hometown, a restaurant occurred a large amount of hate all because of a potentially offensive sign that was hung in the window. After seeing the sign, a small southern mom went to Facebook and immediately rallied her friends to support her in taking down the restaurant. After only a few days, the number of boycotters had risen unbelievably high and the news was already covering the story. This is a small example, but it illustrates that once involved, the community seems to grow in size, as well as