Extracts from Westminster Hall debate on Online Anonymity - Jan 13
Thursday, 14 January 2021 09:46
Siobhan Baillie (Stroud) (Con):...In conclusion, I think we agree
that decisive action needs to be taken against racism, antisemitism
misogyny and other forms of hate crime. What is illegal offline
should be illegal online. On anonymous accounts, I am not convinced
that we must put up with the downsides because of the advantages.
The application of anonymity in the context of whistleblowing, to
an investigative journalist or to an authority has little in common
with anonymity that...Request free
trial
(Stroud) (Con):...In conclusion, I think we
agree that decisive action needs to be taken against racism,
antisemitism misogyny and other forms
of hate crime. What is illegal offline should be illegal online. On
anonymous accounts, I am not convinced that we must put up with the
downsides because of the advantages. The application of anonymity
in the context of whistleblowing, to an investigative journalist or
to an authority has little in common with anonymity that
deliberately destabilises, attacks people and whips up emotions on
social media...
(Newcastle
upon Tyne Central) (Lab):...Just last month, we heard the
strong testimony of my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking
(
), who highlighted over 90,000 posts aimed at her. Many
were antisemitic, misogynistic and ageist, and
many were posted by people hidden behind anonymous screens. We know
from several colleagues, from the valuable testimony of groups such
as the Antisemitism Policy
Trust, and from painful personal experience that online
anonymity too often accompanies online abuse. Like almost all
Members of Parliament, I have experienced abuse online,
particularly when I dare to say something that some people might
consider to be controversial. I have never been able to find out
who was behind the most violent instances of such abuse...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
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