Cyber bullying proposals gone too far?

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heavyusr

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#115894 10-Apr-2013 20:58

News is a few days old but important

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8507497/Cyber-bullies-face-jail-under-new-Govt-plan

Apparently posting offensive, obscene and knowingly false material would be punishable

Seems alot of peeps agree with me about it going too far judging by the comments on the stuff page

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#797401 10-Apr-2013 21:02

Cyber bullies will get zero sympathy from, those low lives deserve all they get plus

Mike

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johnr

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#797406 10-Apr-2013 21:05

KiwiNZ: Cyber bullies will get zero sympathy from, those low lives deserve all they get plus

macuser

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#797416 10-Apr-2013 21:09

I don't really see why being a dickhead on the internet should be treated any different than being a dickhead on the street.

I thought the problem was that people could use the anonymous veil that is an internet username, but I see plenty of horrible comments on Facebook so people feel comfortable writing horrible things even with their name beside it.

freitasm

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#797426 10-Apr-2013 21:24

The problem is when people start using the law to silence opposition of ideas.

For example a politician that dislike a critic post might say s/he's being bullied, just to have that removed.

Winston Peters anyone?

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alasta

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#797450 10-Apr-2013 21:58

macuser: I don't really see why being a dickhead on the internet should be treated any different than being a dickhead on the street.

Is that illegal? I wouldn't have thought so but I'd be willing to stand corrected.

Back when I was at school there was a saying about sticks and stones...

Dratsab

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#797468 10-Apr-2013 22:16

What's the problem here? Is it the words "knowingly false" in relation to posting material?

freitasm

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#797470 10-Apr-2013 22:20

"Knowingly false"?

Take for instance "Jimmy is a fat boy". It could well be true. Bu even if true someone will also say it's mean. Someone will say it's bullying.

Now "The Minister of Silly Walks received bribe from a shoemaker as evidenced in this statement"... It could be true, but the Minister of Silly Walks might take offence and claim he's being bullied.

We already have laws against defamation, bullying, etc. Cyber bullying is no different than bullying.

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MikeB4

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#797471 10-Apr-2013 22:20

alasta:
macuser: I don't really see why being a dickhead on the internet should be treated any different than being a dickhead on the street.

Is that illegal? I wouldn't have thought so but I'd be willing to stand corrected.

Back when I was at school there was a saying about sticks and stones...

my youngest son was badly bullied at school, why? Because he is intelligent. We had to change schools to one site a distance away.

I can tell you that the saying you are referring to, "sticks and stones...." is bollocks.

Mike

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kyhwana2

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#797486 10-Apr-2013 22:42

There's the "knowingly false" bit and also a proposal to "take down" "indecent" or "obscene" content.
Over on some other thread, there is a bunch of indecent content, the people posting it are "bullying" me! *take down*

Also, they talk about ISPs. ISPs in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM should be involved in this bill. At all. (An IP address doesn't identify a person!)

Also, inb4 someone (*cough DonG*) suggests using the DIA filter to filter out anything listed in the government suggested document..

freitasm

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#797490 10-Apr-2013 22:51

I saw DonG suggestion in the InternetNZ list to use the DIA filter or even *gasp* block entire servers by IP address.

That is so wrong...

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freitasm

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#797493 10-Apr-2013 22:55

This is bullying and shouldn't need any cyber law to prevent it.

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networkn

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#797506 10-Apr-2013 23:41

freitasm: This is bullying and shouldn't need any cyber law to prevent it.

That is tragic. I would expect those photos would be considered child pornography and those who distributed could end up on the sec offenders list.

Kids can be stupid and very mean.

I do however think that kids are pretty sensitive these days and things which are really no more than a bit of peer adjustment ends up being labelled as bullying. I have a relative whos kid has not been to school in 18 months over what I would consider a non issue but they wanted to call the police and when the school didn't expel the students and pretty much provide a body guard, they left the school and this child has had no education of note in that time. The kid has milked it for all it's worth as kids are inclined to do, with no concept of how badly he is messing up his life.

Before someone jumps down my throat, I am obviously not talking about the examples like what I quoted above.

macuser

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#797509 10-Apr-2013 23:57

I think there is a pretty clear difference between abusive and assertive. Why should anyone be punished for having a legitimate opinion, and expressing that opinion in non abusive language.

Surely nobody thinks that you will be considered a bully for expressing genuine concerns/differing opinions.

The problem is with people who have nothing to add to the conversation except swear words and wishing death.

macuser

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#797511 11-Apr-2013 00:01

networkn:
freitasm: This is bullying and shouldn't need any cyber law to prevent it.

That is tragic. I would expect those photos would be considered child pornography and those who distributed could end up on the sec offenders list.

Kids can be stupid and very mean.

I do however think that kids are pretty sensitive these days and things which are really no more than a bit of peer adjustment ends up being labelled as bullying. I have a relative whos kid has not been to school in 18 months over what I would consider a non issue but they wanted to call the police and when the school didn't expel the students and pretty much provide a body guard, they left the school and this child has had no education of note in that time. The kid has milked it for all it's worth as kids are inclined to do, with no concept of how badly he is messing up his life.

Before someone jumps down my throat, I am obviously not talking about the examples like what I quoted above.

Before, back in your, or our day...the most we had were telephones. Have a drama at school? Go home, maybe call a friend, who calls a friend. Next day? The problem has blown over.

Now'a days with Facebook and the like, an issue can be brought up online and hundreds of people can be involved in it, some of which don't even know the people involved but jump on the bandwagon.

networkn

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#797512 11-Apr-2013 00:04

macuser:
networkn:
freitasm: This is bullying and shouldn't need any cyber law to prevent it.

That is tragic. I would expect those photos would be considered child pornography and those who distributed could end up on the sec offenders list.

Kids can be stupid and very mean.

I do however think that kids are pretty sensitive these days and things which are really no more than a bit of peer adjustment ends up being labelled as bullying. I have a relative whos kid has not been to school in 18 months over what I would consider a non issue but they wanted to call the police and when the school didn't expel the students and pretty much provide a body guard, they left the school and this child has had no education of note in that time. The kid has milked it for all it's worth as kids are inclined to do, with no concept of how badly he is messing up his life.

Before someone jumps down my throat, I am obviously not talking about the examples like what I quoted above.

Before, back in your, or our day...the most we had were telephones. Have a drama at school? Go home, maybe call a friend, who calls a friend. Next day? The problem has blown over.

Now'a days with Facebook and the like, an issue can be brought up online and hundreds of people can be involved in it, some of which don't even know the people involved but jump on the bandwagon.

Heh well I think you are partly right, but issues didn't necessarily blow over the next day. I would say I was fairly heavily bullied through most of my of my schooling, they did that in the age of "just" telephones.

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