View Single Post
Old 16-10-2017, 17:41   #209
Chris
Trollsplatter
Cable Forum Team
 
Chris's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: North of Watford
Services: Humane elimination of all common Internet pests
Posts: 36,871
Chris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden aura
Chris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden auraChris has a golden aura
Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.

Sites that allow user contributions, like this forum, don't pre-moderate because if you do so you become liable for what is posted, as soon as it is posted. Reactively moderating content is legally safer because you then have a defence of sorts for the material being there in the first place, and a further defence if you deal with it in a fair and timely manner.

Sites are already at risk of being found to have committed libel by allowing defamatory content to be published, regardless of their moderation policy. In practice, however, it is very unlikely to succeed in court if there is a strong defence (rapid removal of the offending item, plus the opportunity to make amends, most likely in the form of a response by the one claiming to have been libelled).

There's also the fact that this is all dealt with as a civil matter and without the possibility of legal aid. It might be that they're thinking of making it a criminal matter so, in theory at least, it is easier to deal with as a prosecution, rather than as a civil defamation action. Whether the police and prosecutors have the time and resources for it is open to question however.
Chris is offline   Reply With Quote