Internet 'Trolling' Sees 150 People Jailed

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Internet 'Trolling' Sees 150 People Jailed

An eightfold increase in online abuse convictions is "obviously related" to the rising popularity of social media, experts say.

12:25, Sunday 24 May 2015

In total, there were 1,209 convictions last year - an eightfold increase

New figures have revealed that 1,209 people were convicted of internet "trolling" last year – equivalent to three guilty verdicts per day.

Of those convicted, 155 were jailed for sending messages or other material which was "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character".

The offence falls under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, which was rarely used before the invention of social media networks in recent years.

The Ministry of Justice data shows that conviction rates have increased eightfold in the past decade, following several high-profile cases of online abuse.

"Trolls" who received custodial sentences were jailed for 2.2 months on average.

Professor Lilian Edwards of Strathclyde University has said the spate of prosecutions is "obviously related to what has happened with social media". Only seven people were jailed for such offences in 2004.

She added: "This was a relatively obscure provision before the internet. You would have been talking about poison telephone calls and there were relatively few of those."

Under the Act, the "persistent misuse" of phone calls and emails is also a crime – especially if it causes the victim needless anxiety, annoyance or inconvenience.

The Crown Prosecution Service issued clearer guidance on "trolling" in 2013, after the conviction of a Twitter user was overturned.

Paul Chambers had been found guilty after using the social network to write: "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your s*** together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!"

The High Court later rejected a ruling that this constituted menacing communication, as it could reasonably be brushed aside as a "silly joke" or "ridiculous banter".

Online abuse came under further scrutiny when Stella Creasy, a Labour MP, was branded "a witch" on Twitter – and was threatened with rape.

Meanwhile, activist Caroline Criado-Perez was told to "go kill yourself" during a campaign to feature Jane Austen on the new £10 banknote, and also received threats of sexual violence.

At the time, she described the incident as "really, really disturbing".