The Internet has brought about a global communications revolution. An individual who wishes to communicate with others no longer needs a printing press or a broadcasting operation. Instead information can be communicated worldwide with a few keystrokes. Words, sounds, pictures or videos can, potentially, be communicated to the nearly 48% of the world’s population – 3.2 billion people – who are now estimated to use the internet (see ITU figures). Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Category: Harassment (Page 4 of 6)
The High Court has struck out part of a harassment claim against the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail Online. Unless the Judge’s order is successfully appealed, the remaining harassment claim will proceed to trial. Continue reading
In the case of Hourani v Thomson & Ors ([2017] EWHC 432 (QB)) a businessman who was the target of a “sustained, highly sophisticated, cynical and calculated” campaign was awarded £80,000 in damages for defamation and harassment following a 10 day trial in the High Court. Continue reading
While debate over the merits of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act continues to rage, new research shows that an overwhelming majority of Australians support legislation that prevents insults on the basis of race, culture or religion. 
We found that just 10% of Australians believe people should have the freedom to “insult” and “offend” people on the basis of race, culture or religion. Over 75% are opposed. Continue reading
The Irish Law Reform Commission has published its long-awaited (pdf) a Report on Harmful Communications and Digital Safety(pdf). It contains 32 recommendations for reform, and includes a draft Harmful Communications and Digital Safety Bill to implement them. Continue reading
The ever increasing presence of social media in our lives, whether old or young, is undeniable. Although it has its benefits, the risks of bullying via social media in an employment context cannot be ignored, and represents a developing threat to businesses which employers must manage effectively. Continue reading
In the fraught atmosphere gripping Britain following the killing of Jo Cox MP, there is deep concern about the tone of political debate in the country. There is no suggestion social media played a direct role in the crime, but attention has fallen on how more generally it may foment people’s anger. Continue reading
In a bid to fight escalating anti-migrant propaganda, the European Commission this month released a blueprint for regulating online hate, which requires social media companies to take down racist material within 24 hours. Continue reading
The new campaign to ‘Reclaim the Internet‘, to ‘take a stand against online abuse’ was launched yesterday – and it could be a really important campaign. The scale and nature of abuse online is appalling – and it is good to see that the campaign does not focus on just one kind of abuse, instead talking about ‘misogyny, sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia’ and more. Continue reading
The High Court has granted injunctions to US claimants in relation to two closely related applications. The case (Power Places Tours Inc and others v Free Spirit and another) is unusual as one of the injunctions granted was to protect US residents from being harassed online by an individual, notwithstanding that they did not appear to have any special connection to the jurisdiction or to have suffered any detriment within it. Continue reading
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