Owen Jones, a British newspaper columnist and activist for the Labour Party, writes in an opinion piece for The Guardian: The aftermath of the horrific killing of Conservative MP David Amess should have been a moment for politicians and the public to unite in an effort to protect democracy. Instead, the discussion has been derailed by a push to ban anonymous social media accounts, which would stifle free speech and democratic rights. Threatening online messages to politicians and other public figures should be taken seriously. As someone who has experienced online abuse, and a physical attack at the hands of the far right, I know all too well the danger. But, in this tragic event, there seems to be no known connection between the death of Amess and anonymous online posting.
While MPs are grieving, and understandably feel vulnerable, we must ask whether strengthening the online safety bill is the right approach. By shifting attention away from extremism toward online anonymity, do we hinder our democracy? There are many legitimate reasons why a citizen may not feel comfortable posting their opinion or sharing information under their own identity. Given the number of politicians who offer off-the-record quotes to journalists on a daily basis, generally for fear of their jobs or other harmful consequences, MPs will be able to empathize with this. The bill would allow Ofcom to punish social networks that fail to remove “lawful but harmful” content. Defining abuse is politically subjective — what is seen as accountability by some could be seen as abuse by others. Mark Francois, who is campaigning for the changes, said “while people in public life must remain open to legitimate criticism, they can no longer be vilified or their families subject to the most horrendous abuse.” While there is no place for verbally violent, threatening or disturbing language, what can be defined as vilification versus illegitimate criticism is harder to judge… Friendly reminder: Slashdot continues to allow users to post comments and stories anonymously as an “Anonymous Coward.” This is something that’s been criticized since its inception, but it’s something we think is important and plan to continue for the foreseeable future.
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