To think that those that bully online should have restrictions to social media?

Yes we do have laws to cover that.

Don’t you have laws that cover that? The US does and others have mentioned other laws (I’m assuming UK), So it would seem that it already is covered.

What more do you want?

I suppose the only way to try and deal with it is to have a proper sign up process for any sort of communications or social media type site, where you have to provide full identification in various forms, personal details etc, like you do when you apply for a passport or driving licence. It's too easy to set up burner emails and phones, and create fake personas.

Reporting comments is no deterrent because even if they get banned from the platform (which is rare, as their reporting systems are useless), they can just go right ahead and set up a new account.

I do agree that the Internet needs to be monitored more closely. Saying that, some people on Facebook under their real names aren't scared to make hateful comments.

75% of women on Aibu would be banned for life 😂

Crikey, there would be hardly anyone left online.

I don’t mean just being mean I mean proper abuse

We already have laws to cover that.

I don't know what the societal answer is really to how awful SM can be.

Free speech is vital, but SM is a real mess.

You have a great point - social media platforms actually benefit from online bullying and trolls to a degree (as long as there are no overt tragedies… and even then they have their lawyers).

I hope this will change. I suppose it’s the plus side of internet ID laws, if you can’t be anonymous you’d lose the ability to bully online - or it might at least deter some people. Though of course, losing anonymity removes some of the benefits of the internet.

Equally, I think a fair amount of bullies feel their behaviour is reasonable and justified and don’t see it as bullying!

Speaking as someone who has been cyberbullied, Pandora's box was opened by the social media platforms and until they stick to their posting rules and moral guidelines it's an open court for people with an axe to grind sadly.

8 people reported the post about me asking the platform to review it for abusive targeted bullying content and not one of them got a response. It was brute force face to face that got it removed (not me)

As soon as the platforms are held to account this will start to clean up to a degree but the revenue generation at stake and constant turnover of anonymous users means they've all got plausible deniability on bullying.

You’re not being ridiculous at all. There’s already a law that covers trolling/online abuse. Perhaps it should further include monitoring of the social media accounts of online trolls.

‘In England and Wales, the Malicious Communications Act 1988 covers comments that cause "distress or anxiety". Similar legislation applies in Northern Ireland. Sean Duffy was jailed under the act for 18 weeks in 2011 after he made "grossly offensive" comments about children who had killed themselves’

I think the Malicious Communications Act covers exactly this and persistent trolls and online bullies can be prosecuted in a criminal court. I think it should be applied more widely to stop the cowardly trolls bullying people.

Imagine these bullies applying for a job and having to explain that they bullied and harassed members of the public online… :)

edit: I’m sure future employers would think twice about hiring such a person… who no doubt describes themselves as a ‘team player’ who has an ‘assertive communication style’.

Ok so now that we’ve clarified what you meant, I still think it’s up the authorities to prosecute if it hits the level of a criminal act. And it’s up to the individual SM sites to adhere to their Terms of Use that they all have.

I wish that people would stop looking for some authority to control people’s actions.

If I want to be an idiot on X/Twitter does that mean that I should be banned somehow from posting my button collecting hobby on Instagram?

How about getting into a months long feud on FB with my neighbor and his parking habits, should that mean I can’t contact a company on X/Twitter to get a customer service resolution?

Who would be the arbitrator of what is bullying and what is not?
You may not feel that calling Nigel Farage a dick on social media is bullying but he may disagree. Who gets to decide? And why is being abusive towards one person acceptable, but not somebody else?

I do think he is a dick tho.

Practically impossible and like PPs have said it’s quite hard to draw the line.

I don’t ever want to live in a world where calling Nigel Farage a dick is against the law.

But I know why you’re probably feeling this way because all you have to do is scroll down on Twitter and the comments are absolutely vile.

Yes agree with all of this. It’s definitely a pattern of behaviour in addition, I was more focussing on the OP talking about one nasty comment pushing someone over the edge, bur they’ve clarified now

There are laws around cybercrime, stalking, harassment, malicious communications, etc. These have specific definitions and criteria.

Someone being a bit mean cannot be legislated against.

That’s just it though… adults surely have agency to step away from SM if this is happening. And parents have the responsibility for both teaching the same and enforcing it for their children.

Online harassment can and has been punished by law. So there is already a mechanism. Hurty words by some rando on the internet should be treated the same as hurty words said in public. I mean the police and courts don’t ban people from public spaces do they? Individual places can ban people just like SM sites can.

Not necessarily some have been prosecuted for online stalking and harassment. I doubt the OP is talking about a single nasty comment. Bullying is categorised as repeated behaviour. I also think you can get prosecuted for being part of mobbing.