Disappointing Daley Twitter Troll Terrors?

[Protein Cheik]

Just looking at this from a pretty detached perspective, being in another country - but isn't this whole 'police clamping down on Tweets' thing in the UK getting absolutely ridiculous. It really seems to be threatening free speech from where I see it.

I couldn't understand it in the case of Liam Stacey, when he tweeted after Muamba's collapse, putting up "'You w** ****, go pick some cotton', 'You are a silly ****, your mum was a w** and your dad was a rapist' and 'Go suck a n*****’s d***'." and 'LOL, F*** Muamba. He’s dead'. Stacey was then jailed for 56 days.

But now after Daley's disappointing performance at the Olympics, someone tweeted to him ""You let your dad down i hope you know that." (Of course, Tom Daley's father died of cancer recently)

And Dorset police are now investigating it? This seems to have gone waaaaaaaaay too far. It's become a joke. Hate to sound like a Mail headline, but PC Police gone mad.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/3 ... tter-troll

[biggeordiedave]

I'm assuming its a typo when you say you "couldn't understand" that the Welsh kid was jailed.

[Cal]

I wouldn't say it's 'PC gone mad', but they're definitely wasting police time and resources. I also find it interesting that it's seemingly only a problem when the target is high profile...

[tomtom94]

It's direct targeted abuse that was intended for the person concerned to read. If you went up to them in the street and said it you would be arrested, why should Twitter be any different?

[Goat]

Just looking at this from a pretty detached perspective, being in another country - but isn't this whole 'police clamping down on Tweets' thing in the UK getting absolutely ridiculous. It really seems to be threatening free speech from where I see it.

I couldn't understand it in the case of Liam Stacey, when he tweeted after Muamba's collapse, putting up "'You w** ****, go pick some cotton', 'You are a silly ****, your mum was a w** and your dad was a rapist' and 'Go suck a n*****’s d***'." and 'LOL, F*** Muamba. He’s dead'. Stacey was then jailed for 56 days.

But now after Daley's disappointing performance at the Olympics, someone tweeted to him ""You let your dad down i hope you know that." (Of course, Tom Daley's father died of cancer recently)

And Dorset police are now investigating it? This seems to have gone waaaaaaaaay too far. It's become a joke. Hate to sound like a Mail headline, but PC Police gone mad.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/3 ... tter-troll

I think it's great, personally.

You simply wouldn't get away with this in a face to face situation, so why should online be any different? Absolutely no one has a lawful right to hurt people in any manner.

This is finally a MASSIVE kick up the arse for little chavs who think that they're invincible behind a computer screen.

Frankly it amazes me that some people are still finding a way to complain about it. How the hell can it possibly be a bad thing?

There is no absolute right to freedom of speech. There never has been, so I don't know why people see certain things as a 'threat' to it. People have rights to not be verbally or physically abused or hurt. Once the words you're saying contravene these rules, you no longer have freedom of speech.

[overseasTOON]

Twitter is deemed as self publishing and as such it has certain legal constraints against it because it's actually being published in the public domain.

If this comment had happened face to face with no witnesses then legally it would be nigh on impossible to prosecute.

I've said it for ages but you do have to beware what you say online as it's an utterly different environment for discussion and banter to the traditional method of chatting in a pub/social environment. Off hand comments and quips can have dire consequences.

[Yacob]

I'm happy action has been taken, its a horrible thing to say about such a sensitive subject.

[Tsi]

I wouldn't say it's 'PC gone mad', but they're definitely wasting police time and resources. I also find it interesting that it's seemingly only a problem when the target is high profile...

So do I,It never seems to happen for those people not in the public eye whose lives are made a misery on a daily basis.There needs to be more consistency and not what looks like celeb favoritism.

[tomtom94]

I wouldn't say it's 'PC gone mad', but they're definitely wasting police time and resources. I also find it interesting that it's seemingly only a problem when the target is high profile...

So do I,It never seems to happen for those people not in the public eye whose lives are made a misery on a daily basis.There needs to be more consistency and not what looks like celeb favoritism.

I think the problem is that not enough people realise that they have a right to complain about abuse on social networking sites (not just Twitter) and so only the high-profile cases get investigated.

That said, I could have sworn we already had our first conviction for abuse on Twitter a while back, but Google is being extremely unhelpful so I could be mistaken.

[Tsi]

So do I,It never seems to happen for those people not in the public eye whose lives are made a misery on a daily basis.There needs to be more consistency and not what looks like celeb favoritism.

I think the problem is that not enough people realise that they have a right to complain about abuse on social networking sites (not just Twitter) and so only the high-profile cases get investigated.

That said, I could have sworn we already had our first conviction for abuse on Twitter a while back, but Google is being extremely unhelpful so I could be mistaken.

The problem is many do but it doesn't stop,It's slowly changing and will take a while to take effect.It must be a pisser when you or someone in your family have had constant vile abuse and nothing happens to see a celeb have one bit of abuse and it's jumped on instantly.I guess the flip side is a forever alone guy doesn't have thousands of outraged followers to kick up a fuss.

[Goat]

I wouldn't say it's 'PC gone mad', but they're definitely wasting police time and resources. I also find it interesting that it's seemingly only a problem when the target is high profile...

So do I,It never seems to happen for those people not in the public eye whose lives are made a misery on a daily basis.There needs to be more consistency and not what looks like celeb favoritism.

It's not done on purpose.

It only seems to happen to celebs because their tweets are very well known, so it's easy for people and eventually the police to pick up on them.

If an 'average' user chooses not to report a tweet (I suspect many people don't even know that they can) then the police won't find out about it.

Plus, you'll find that far more abuse is directed towards celebs instead of some random bloke, so statistically you're far more likely to get the hate speeches towards celebs.

[Mifune]

I hate to sound ignorant but what has the guy who sent the tweet done that is illegal and deserves the attention of the police?

[tomtom94]

I hate to sound ignorant but what has the guy who sent the tweet done that is illegal and deserves the attention of the police?

I believe the content of his tweet was "I hope you realise you let your dad down you little prick" or something to that effect.

[overseasTOON]

I hate to sound ignorant but what has the guy who sent the tweet done that is illegal and deserves the attention of the police?

He's been arrested on suspicion of breaking the Malicious Communications Act 1988 which states it's an offence to send communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

The act is under review to deal with new technology though.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/27/section/1

[Blue & Maroon]

It's **** The fact that some 17 year olds life might be ruined over a throw away comment because of some self righteous twats on twitter is unreal. Daley should have dealt with it privately, I can't imagine how horrible it is having your dad die but there is no need to start a witch hunt for the lad especially if he didn't even know Daley's dad was dead. because I certainly didn't. The comment was bad but the reaction is even worse.

[Tsi]

So do I,It never seems to happen for those people not in the public eye whose lives are made a misery on a daily basis.There needs to be more consistency and not what looks like celeb favoritism.

It's not done on purpose.

It only seems to happen to celebs because their tweets are very well known, so it's easy for people and eventually the police to pick up on them.

If an 'average' user chooses not to report a tweet (I suspect many people don't even know that they can) then the police won't find out about it.

Plus, you'll find that far more abuse is directed towards celebs instead of some random bloke, so statistically you're far more likely to get the hate speeches towards celebs - this is wrong.

You are right and I am wrong

[overseasTOON]

It's **** The fact that some 17 year olds life might be ruined over a throw away comment because of some self righteous twats on twitter is unreal. Daley should have dealt with it privately, I can't imagine how horrible it is having your dad die but there is no need to start a witch hunt for the lad especially if he didn't even know Daley's dad was dead. because I certainly didn't. The comment was bad but the reaction is even worse.

How do you deal with it privately on Twitter when you have numerous followers?

I just checked and he has 800,000+ followers.

Yes, the person who made the ill thought comment is no doubt a f*** nugget of the highest order but once you self publish a comment to a well followed individual, it's gone beyond the bounds of a private comment.

[Mifune]

I hate to sound ignorant but what has the guy who sent the tweet done that is illegal and deserves the attention of the police?

He's been arrested on suspicion of breaking the Malicious Communications Act 1988 which states it's an offence to send communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

The act is under review to deal with new technology though.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/27/section/1

Thanks, never heard of that before. What a stupid law , I would rather someone send me a malicious text/tweet/email (which apparently would be illegal) than someone to shout it at me or something in person (which would not be illegal). Although perhaps the reason why it would be illegal for them to text/tweet/email it to me is because I could not just nut them for it whereas I could if they said it to me in person....so long as they were smaller than me....and preferably still in school.....and a girl......who does not have a big brother or anything.....or even a feisty little brother.

[Blue & Maroon]

It's **** The fact that some 17 year olds life might be ruined over a throw away comment because of some self righteous twats on twitter is unreal. Daley should have dealt with it privately, I can't imagine how horrible it is having your dad die but there is no need to start a witch hunt for the lad especially if he didn't even know Daley's dad was dead. because I certainly didn't. The comment was bad but the reaction is even worse.

How do you deal with it privately on Twitter when you have numerous followers?

I just checked and he has 800,000+ followers.

Yes, the person who made the ill thought comment is no doubt a f*** nugget of the highest order but once you self publish a comment to a well followed individual, it's gone beyond the bounds of a private comment.

Not everyone could see it until Daley re-tweeted it though He still could have dealt with it fairly privately and the kid wouldn't have got arrested for a silly throwaway comment. Let's be honest all something like this needs is an apology not a witch hunt.

[Protein Cheik]

How do you deal with it privately on Twitter when you have numerous followers?

I just checked and he has 800,000+ followers.

Yes, the person who made the ill thought comment is no doubt a f*** nugget of the highest order but once you self publish a comment to a well followed individual, it's gone beyond the bounds of a private comment.

Not everyone could see it until Daley re-tweeted it though He still could have dealt with it fairly privately and the kid wouldn't have got arrested for a silly throwaway comment. Let's be honest all something like this needs is an apology not a witch hunt.

Exactly - and with a law like that, who's to say where it stops - why mainly Twitter? Why mainly celebrities? An apology is all that is needed - I don't really see what the man has done, other than act like a bit of a git. Honestly, to say something like that - which is a bit offensive, and for the police to get involved is absolutely ridiculous. They shouldn't police the internet.