Internet trolls can face prosecution in England and Wales

Under the new Crown Prosecution Service Guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media, people in England and Wales can now be prosecuted for ‘inciting people to harass others online’ and for posting people’s personal details, such as their bank information. The guidance is organised according to four categories of offences (‘credible threats‘, ‘communications targeting specific individuals‘, ‘breach of court orders‘, and ‘communications which are grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false‘). It also includes specific issues in social media offending, such as violence against women, hate crimes, and jurisdiction