To view this as encouraging vigilante action? WWYD?

[FuzzyPillow]

On social media a person I've known for years (who is very left wing in a Momentum sort of way) posted a link to a video of an arsehole Britain First member making some appalling Islamaphobic comments.

Underneath the video, the friend commented:
"Hmmm.... [Britain First man's] car numberplate is XXXX XXXX. I wonder if that could come in use......"

Another poster then posted a link to the man's car details from the DVLA website with comments on what they could and couldn't find out (they tried and failed to find out a home address) / anything else.

Friend then commented:
"Oooh, I wonder what else could be found out......"

Both these people have big networks of political contacts and I've noticed that people have started to share this post, which worries me. (Although it's not currently set to Public).

Now, just to mention that firstly, I think the Britain First member is an utterly despicable scumbag.

Secondly, I feel that despite this ^ vigilante action is totally wrong and should not be encouraged.

Thirdly, I'm aware that the details posted about him were minimal and that his numberplate can be seen from the video. Also, I realise that anyone can look up DVLA information to try to find out a name and address, so it is essentially public information, however you would have to lie to the DVLA about why you were looking it up.

Mostly though, I'm wondering if I'm over reacting? And if I should do anything? I'm interested in canvassing opinion.

Perhaps they are trying to alert him to how stupid he is being? Have you reported the original post, and the comments? FB are pretty quick on these kinds of things.

I don't think you can use the DVLA to find out who owns a vehicle, can you?

pickle I don't think so as the Britain First guy would have no means of seeing the post. Plus there are better ways to do that.

Imperial I believe you can??? Coincidentally I was talking to someone else about this several weeks ago, and you have to give a reason for wanting to know such as the car having been abandoned/ parked on your property.

Unless the guy was in the car how do you know the car belonged to him

It makes them as bad as the racist in my opinion.

You can look up car details any time you want online

Oh sorry I see, you said that already.

Would the DVLA give out a name and address though?

Mind you, I'm pretty sure there will be tons of people who already know his name and address and as he's quite happy to be videoed ranting in public, I don't imagine he'd really care.

Not that it makes vigilantism right or anything.

Fuzzy

You can't find the keeper's address from the DVLA website. The details there relate solely to the vehicle and not the keeper.

In certain circumstances you can request the keeper's details as an individual, but you have to have a legitimate cause. Not just 'i fancy finding out who owns the flash Mercedes down the street or I want to start a hate campaign.

DVLA website says these are the only grounds:

finding out who was responsible for an accident
tracing the registered keeper of an abandoned vehicle
tracing the registered keeper of a vehicle parked on private land
giving out parking tickets
giving out trespass charge notices
tracing people responsible for driving off without paying for goods and services
tracing people suspected of insurance fraud

I'm pretty sure there will be tons of people who already know his name and address and as he's quite happy to be videoed ranting in public, I don't imagine he'd really care.

Yep yep. Nobody needs a car numberplate to track someone down. If they put their names and faces to a public video on any form of social media, literally anybody can find out who they are in less than five minutes. You do not have to be Sherlock Holmes to work it out.

Olivers you saw him driving the car then get out. So I can see why they made the assumption.

Boys
I knew vaguely of the conditions you mentioned, but I didn't realise it wasn't an instant enquiry process. That explains why (as I mentioned) they failed to find out the address.

YANBU i hate those types of vigilante posts on facebook i dont care who they are about, racists, peedos, shoplifters, whatever, none of it is okay. Firstly because you dont have anyones word for what these people have done other than the facebook poster who has usually just got it off someone else. Secondly because it encourages mentalists to be violent.
If you are worried about someone being a criminal then report them to the police. FFS vigilantism helps no one ever.

I report these posts all the time to facebook but they do nothing.

Hold

Yes, totally true it's easy to find someone online. I just feel that advertising the information to others so they can go and do something awful is very wrong.

So does anyone think I should do anything? Or am I over reacting?

I do not think you are over reacting at all. Some people might well see that as a green light to do something.

FB is a bugger for whipping up hysteria or stuid reactions. There was something going around my fb a while back where a girl pretended she had stolen someone's horse. (The horse had been stolen, but not by her). She was absolutely crucified with extremely violent language and threats..... yet the girl herself was clearly SEN, and what I was reading scared me and I was not even the recipient. It ended up with her posting loads of terrified please. But people got all righteous and thought that although she did something stupid it gave them the right to attack her in quite horrid ways. I ended up blocking a whole load of people after that so not sure what happened, but it was scary.

*terrified pleas

Yes, report it using the report button! I've reported loads of stuff. I have friends who share name and shame stuff, even people who have been given new ids because of crimes etc. No matter how awful a person's behaviour is, name and shame of FB is not the way to handle it and frankly, you can't tell if it's true anyway!

If more people would just use their brains, and others the report button, FB wouldn't be the dodgy place it is! Sorry but FB gets my goat with this kind of thing.

"FB are pretty quick on these kinds of things"

I doubt it. I reported a site that was designed to create hate for Muslims and was told it was within their guidelines. Then a couple of weeks later found some really appalling things written about Jews and reported them and again, zero response.

They seem to do better on specific posts. Not the vague 'share if you think every school should do a nativity' type rubbish, but the kind OP is talking about and the kind where people's personal info is shared.

The anti-Jewish one was a specific post and a whole lot nastiest than being pro-nativity plays