England: CPS produces guidelines for pursuing internet trolls

Prosecutors will be encouraged to pursue internet trolls who use fake profiles online to harass people under guidelines being proposed in England and Wales.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said adults should face charges if they make a profile in the name of a victim replete with fake information that could damage that person’s reputation.

The guidelines advise prosecutors on how to interpret the current laws.

Director of public prosecutions, Alison Saunders, said: “It is vital that prosecutors consider the bigger picture when looking at evidence and examine both the online and offline behaviour pattern of the defendant,” said director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders.

“Online abuse is cowardly and can be deeply upsetting to the victim.”

In 2012, Facebook estimated it had tens of millions fake accounts while fraudsters have also set up fake LinkedIn profiles to try and gain users’ personal details.

The CPS has established three categories under which prosecutors should be prepared to charge people under existing laws.

Category one concerns activity resulting in a credible threat to an individual; category two covers situations where someone is targeted for harassment, revenge porn, or coercive behaviour from family or former partners; and category three cases that result in a court order being breached.

A fourth category is also provided for the less serious situation in which a false identity is used to upload upsetting messages that could cause anxiety.

Ms Saunders added that only “grossly offensive” material could result in prosecution and that children should rarely be prosecuted because of their lack of adult judgement.