A few quick clicks is all it takes to locate vile, obscene and cruel posts on social media.
t’s that easy to find because it is so common. We have a pandemic of hate and abuse on our hands, the Wild West has moved to our phones and devices.
Amidst a sea of mental health campaigns, cheery posts opining to “Be More Kind” and greater awareness about the impact of social media on our individual and collective well-being, the problem is persisting and growing.
Studies indicate increased anxiety, depression, loneliness and self-harm caused by behaviours online. Protections have not kept up with the incredible and rapid growth of social media.
The relative youth of these sites is part of the problem. Google was born in 1998, Facebook in 2004, Twitter in 2006 and Instagram in 2010.
Today, Twitter has around 400 million users globally, Facebook around 3 billion active users. Yet, this significant development went largely ignored by lawmakers and regulators.
Much of the bad behaviour of these sites could be dealt with by protocols and guidelines, with meaningful penalties. Yet it has not been.
Free speech must be protected, even when it is robust.
However, continued lack of action by the companies is not on, particularly when the line is crossed into harassment and bullying. In the real world, the law can step in when a person is harassed or abused. It should be the same online.
Disturbingly, the “twitterfication” of the real world is creeping in, with the hate mobs and pile-on crew now screaming abuse at those in public life as they go about their daily lives.
Dangerously, there is an even darker and more menacing side to social media, and many of us have encountered it.
Profiles that tend to abuse and harass the most are frequently anonymous, and often have multiple online profiles – the cloak of darkness facilitating unimaginable bile and relentless abuse of their chosen target.
These accounts engage in defamation, sexual and professional slurs, threats and obscene abuse.
Threats to harm the person or their family, to rape their children, to spread untrue rumours attacking professional and private lives. Too often victims can’t take action to protect themselves due to lack of cooperation by the companies.
Government must take the opportunity on this new Bill on online harm to address these issues. Social media companies must cooperate, instead of frustrating, those who want to seek civil and criminal action against their abusers.
This is not about forcing all accounts to be under a real name – there are good reasons why some would not wish to be.
However, these companies have the ability to verify identities and retain that information for when it may be needed to support victims to seek justice and legal protections.
This is an option I am urging the Government and lawmakers to consider urgently.
The days of social media being synonymous with abuse and bile must end.
If the companies won’t take action, then lawmakers must. This cannot be another missed opportunity.
- Emma Little-Pengelly is a former DUP MP and special adviser
