Being a dick on the internet now an arrestable offence.
Discuss issues related to the politics of the UK, such as the actions of any MP, any current or potential law, or any other factor affecting the British political system.
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Being a dick on the internet now an arrestable offence.Following the arrest of the person responsible for sending a stupid, offensive message to diver Tom Daley for 'malicious communications', and the apparent final nail in the coffin of free speech in the UK, I would like to invite members to discuss the validity of arresting someone for sending an offensive twitter comment, and report any similar crimes they have been a victim of to the appropriate authorities.
List of UK police forces: http://www.met.police.uk/links/index.htm#ukpolice
Daley article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19059127
For those apparently incapable of grasping the implications of the words stupid and offensive, I don't agree with the dick (another word which could have given you a clue) who did this, I simply think that arresting him is not an appropriate response.Last edited by Craig_D; 31-07-2012 at 22:03. -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence."i'm going to find you and i'm going to drown you in the pool you cocky t*** your a nobody people like you make me sick."
So you think people should just be allowed to threaten to murder someone without any consequences? -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.I think the comment was atrocious, I think the person who made it was a complete **** but to be arrested for it is a joke, and a rather unfunny one. It is a waste of police time above anything else. No need to use the report function on TSR anymore: just call the police instead. Maybe the next update could have our post reports sent automatically to the local station. I'll let you have that one for free admin.
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.If you read his twitter feed, he was making death threats to not just tom, but others as well.
Anyway he deserves it, he makes an apology and 10 minutes later he is saying he will go to the pool and drown him -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.If the individual had only made the offensive comments then I would wonder about the validity of the arrest
The other comments that are not being reported by the BBC included death threats and, because of that I support the arrest -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.I don't think he was arrested because of that tweet, he just got publicised because of it and his numerous death threats however were enough to get him arrested. He was a nasty piece of work, not just a troll.
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.Being a dick, on the internet or otherwise, isn't an arrestable offence.
Making death threats is, and has been since the mid-19th century, an arrestable offence.
Don't get your facts from the newspapers.
EDIT: Publishing multiple death threats, under your own name, to multiple individuals in the public domain (and then to top it off attracting massive media attention to these acts) is so out there, that I would consider it a travesty if the police didn't arrest this guy, given how easy he's made it for them to do so.Last edited by BeanofJelly; 31-07-2012 at 19:00. -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.The tweets did include direct death threats though(Original post by DanielMartin)
It was hardly a death threat, -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.I've wasted enough time trying to reason with you in the past. You're no different to Riley whatever his name is. Stop trying so hard to garner attention(Original post by DanielMartin)
Utter rubbish, then it's not free speech. He had every right to say that as Tom Daley is an absolute waste of space - I'm sorry but anybody can jump off a diving board into a pool of water, heck with a bath tub and an imagination we can all achieve gold.
Screw him. His parents, deceased or alive and other accomplishments are right to be scrutinized as he is in the public light. If the media didn't reveal any of that information then by all means the twitter point would of been rendered moot.
p.s. It was hardly a death threat, I mean come on. It's like the guy who got arrested after he furiously joked that he was going to bomb the airport because the plane was delayed. It would be an issue if Tom Daley was actually killed but he's fine, well and coming 4th .... so what does it matter?
EDIT: Nevermind, I'll bite. Explain to me why we should have the right to threaten to take somebody's life?Last edited by Integral; 31-07-2012 at 18:50. -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.ime the police treat death threats in texts very seriously(Original post by Lilahx)
If I received texts like that on my Phone and went to the police their response would be different. Because its twitter Its somehow different. -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.There is a difference.
Some of the sarcasm I post on here makes me liable for 'being a dick on the internet', but doesn't cross boundaries of free speech. What Riley posted did. His posts leave him the creator of threatening, harassment and inciting hate. -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.This isn't true, infact death threats via a direct and private source to you like that is deemed far worse and treated with more severity.(Original post by Lilahx)
If I received texts like that on my Phone and went to the police their response would be different. Because its twitter Its somehow different.
The difference between the scenario you described and twitter is the fact that it is public, making it free and open for the media to get every angle they want from the issue. We see it more because it spirals out of control on public sources. That doesn't meant the police take it more seriously though. Infact, they lean towards more severity over private contact possibilities because that is something that can trap the victim more. -
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Re: Being a d**k on the internet now an arrestable offence.that guy who said that to tom daley was an absolute knobhead but he DOES NOT deserve to be arrested.
edit - wait did he send him death threats too? i didn't know that... yes he should be arrested then, you can't go round threatening people online nor real life.Last edited by Bellissima; 31-07-2012 at 18:56.
