3 ms·

Have you been following what’s going on in the UK with their anti-“hate” speech laws? Tweet something that someone decides is offensive to them, get a visit fr

by zaroth 9y ago

Have you been following what’s going on in the UK with their anti-“hate” speech laws? Tweet something that someone decides is offensive to them, get a visit from the police? I’d say it’s a very rational concern that these regulations would be weaponized against “wrongthink”.

s73v3r_ 9y ago
I'm not saying the UK's way is the way to go. But trying to handwave away the problem of toxicity with, "It's just people who can't handle' differing opinions" not right either.
pjc50 9y ago
The number of actual prosecutions or even visits from the police is tiny, and when you look at the actual cases they tend to be racist death or rape threats.
- zaroth 9y ago
  "Arrests for offensive Facebook and Twitter posts soar in London" [1] "Arrests for 'offensive' Twitter and Facebook messages up by a third" [2] "British Police Arrest At Least 3,395 People for ‘Offensive’ Online Comments in One Year" [3] "Police arresting nine people a day in fight against web trolls" [4] "More than 3,300 people were detained and questioned last year over so-called trolling on social media and other online forums, a rise of nearly 50 per cent in two years, according to figures obtained by The Times. About half of the investigations were dropped before prosecutions were brought, however, leading to criticism from civil liberties campaigners that the authorities are over-policing the internet and threatening free speech...." [1] - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/arrests-for-offensive-facebook-and-twitter-posts-soar-in-london-a7064246.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/arrests-for-offensive-f... [2] - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/02/social_media_arrests_up_37pc_london_section_127_communications_act/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/02/social_media_arrests... [3] - http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/10/14/british-police-arrest-at-least-3395-people-for-offensive-online-comments-one-year/ http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/10/14/british-police-ar... [4] - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/police-arresting-nine-people-a-day-in-fight-against-web-trolls-b8nkpgp2d https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/police-arresting-nine-peo...
  - s73v3r_ 9y ago
    None of those articles mention the content of the posts.
    - zaroth 9y ago
      There are a few examples in there. Here’s a few more [1]. Mostly it’s ill advised mouthing off, or blowing off steam as was the case of the guy delayed hours at an airport. These are not “true threats” or incitement, which are charged differently. [1] - https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/killallwhitemen-twitter-trolling-law-collides-priority/ https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/killallwhitemen-twitter-trolli...

by zaroth 9y ago

s73v3r_ 9y ago

I'm not saying the UK's way is the way to go. But trying to handwave away the problem of toxicity with, "It's just people who can't handle' differing opinions" not right either.

pjc50 9y ago

The number of actual prosecutions or even visits from the police is tiny, and when you look at the actual cases they tend to be racist death or rape threats.

zaroth 9y ago
"Arrests for offensive Facebook and Twitter posts soar in London" [1] "Arrests for 'offensive' Twitter and Facebook messages up by a third" [2] "British Police Arrest At Least 3,395 People for ‘Offensive’ Online Comments in One Year" [3] "Police arresting nine people a day in fight against web trolls" [4] "More than 3,300 people were detained and questioned last year over so-called trolling on social media and other online forums, a rise of nearly 50 per cent in two years, according to figures obtained by The Times. About half of the investigations were dropped before prosecutions were brought, however, leading to criticism from civil liberties campaigners that the authorities are over-policing the internet and threatening free speech...." [1] - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/arrests-for-offensive-facebook-and-twitter-posts-soar-in-london-a7064246.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/arrests-for-offensive-f... [2] - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/02/social_media_arrests_up_37pc_london_section_127_communications_act/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/02/social_media_arrests... [3] - http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/10/14/british-police-arrest-at-least-3395-people-for-offensive-online-comments-one-year/ http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/10/14/british-police-ar... [4] - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/police-arresting-nine-people-a-day-in-fight-against-web-trolls-b8nkpgp2d https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/police-arresting-nine-peo...
- s73v3r_ 9y ago
  None of those articles mention the content of the posts.
  - zaroth 9y ago
    There are a few examples in there. Here’s a few more [1]. Mostly it’s ill advised mouthing off, or blowing off steam as was the case of the guy delayed hours at an airport. These are not “true threats” or incitement, which are charged differently. [1] - https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/killallwhitemen-twitter-trolling-law-collides-priority/ https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/killallwhitemen-twitter-trolli...