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House of Commons Could Force Social Networks To Identify Trolls

Posted by timothy on from the we've-found-a-troll-may-we-burn-her? dept.

concertina226 writes with this news snipped from Techworld UK: "Websites such as Facebook and Twitter could be forced to unmask so-called internet trolls, under new government proposals in the Defamation Bill. The move comes after a British woman won a landmark case to force Facebook to reveal the identities of internet trolls. On 30 May, Nicola Brookes from Brighton was granted a High Court order after receiving 'vicious and depraved' taunts on Facebook. The bill, which is being debated in the House of Commons [Tuesday], will allow victims of online abuse to discover the identity of their persecutors and bring a case against them. The move also aims to protect websites from threats of litigation for inadvertently displaying defamatory comments."

5 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. I don't think this will ever work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure you can get IP addresses, trace them back but anyone trolling professionally will do so in such a way that they'll be anonymous still. Internet cafes, 3G broadband, open wifi in the middle of times square.

    It's not as if they're going to be able to use the intertubes to locate which Starbucks you're in instantly and send in the black helecopters so you are cut of mid sen

    1. Re:I don't think this will ever work by SJHillman · · Score: 4, Funny

      What if they use a GUI interface in Visual Basic to track your IP address?

    2. Re:I don't think this will ever work by Fixer40000 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't worry. That's what Norton Internet Security is for.

    3. Re:I don't think this will ever work by million_monkeys · · Score: 3, Funny

      Sure you can get IP addresses, trace them back but anyone trolling professionally will do so in such a way that they'll be anonymous still. Internet cafes, 3G broadband, open wifi in the middle of times square.

      It's not as if they're going to be able to use the intertubes to locate which Starbucks you're in instantly and send in the black helecopters so you are cut of mid sen

      Damn. Those bastards. They got him before he even had a chance to check his post for spelling and grammar.

  2. House of Commons by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 5, Funny

    House of Commons? The august body that allows heckling during speeches? Cracking down on trolling?

    Hmmm...