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Tag: cyberbullying

  • Solomon Islands Government Banning Facebook

    Solomon Islands Government Banning Facebook

    The Solomon Islands Government is preparing to ban Facebook to protect “national unity” and crack down on cyberbullying.

    Facebook may be experiencing record growth, thanks to the pandemic, but the Solomon Islands government is not a fan. The government has criticized the social media platform for its role in cyberbullying and online defamation.

    “Cyberbullying on Facebook is widespread, people have been defamed by users who use fake names, and people’s reputations that have been built up over the years [are destroyed] in a matter of minutes,” Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said, according to ABC News.

    The proposed ban is being called a temporary one while the government drafts laws to legislate online behavior. Temporary or not, the move has drawn intense criticism from the government’s opponents, as well as from Solomon Islanders abroad.

    “My mum was very sick, and she went downhill very quickly, within like 10 days, and then we lost her,” Nurse Margaret Tadokata told ABC News. “My last goodbyes with my mum were on a video call on Facebook, on Messenger … Without it, I wouldn’t have seen her or heard her for the last time.”

    “Even though I’ve been in Australia for more than 20 years, my connection and my culture and family are very important to me, and Facebook has made that easy for me,” continued Ms Tadokata.

    The backlash the Solomon Islands Government is experiencing illustrates the challenges governments around the world face in their efforts to regulate Facebook. On the one hand, there is no denying the damage the social media platform has done to the fabric of human society and societal norms. On the other hand, the platform has become a nearly irreplaceable method of communication for many across the globe.

  • Carrie Underwood Sticks Up For Trainer After Cyber-Bullying Incident

    Carrie Underwood stuck up for her trainer, Erin Oprea, who was cyber-bullied after her son’s soccer game.

    According to People magazine, the country singer came to Oprea’s defense after the trainer decided to get in a cardio workout while watching her son’s soccer game. Apparently another parent at the match snapped a photo of her jumping rope and posted it to Facebook, along with the message, “Would it be wrong of me to tell her that every dad at the soccer field thinks her standing out front with her jump rope for two hours only screams she wants attention. And I can only imagine what the soccer moms are thinking.”

    Underwood, 32, didn’t waste a moment in coming to the defense of her friend.

    Carrie posted a screenshot of the original Facebook post, with the caption, “That man obviously has a big problem…with himself. I only hope he can learn to like himself someday so he can be an adult and stop bullying others for bettering themselves!

    “This guy felt the need to post this pic of my friend and trainer, Erin Oprea, along with some really insecure and mean comments. He was shaming her for getting in some exercise during her son’s soccer game. Not cool.”

    While Oprea must have been thrilled that Carrie Underwood stood up for her, it would seem that the personal trainer can take care of herself.

    “This is exactly why many people don’t embrace an active lifestyle in ordinary situations: They are worried that they will draw attention and, even worse, ridicule,” Oprea posted to social media.

    “Everyone has to find time in their busy schedules to get their workouts in. This is a time that works well for me and many other parents,” she continued. “I don’t want to see people getting bullied for doing what works best for their lifestyle.”

    She also took a moment to encourage others to stick with their program despite the negativity that might surround them.

    “So grab your jump rope, embrace that healthy lifestyle and keep on jumping if you hear whispering behind you,” Oprea said. “You’re the better person here in more ways than one.”

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  • Monica Lewinsky Launches Anti-Bullying Campaign Ahead of Safer Internet Day

    Monica Lewinsky is back in the news. No, she isn’t campaigning for or against Hillary Clinton. She is, however, launching her own anti-bullying campaign.

    Monica Lewinsky launched the #BeStrong Emoji Keyboard App just in time for Safer Internet Day, which is February 9. The set of emojis were created to help fight cyberbullying.

    According to a report from Time magazine, the app was created in conjunction with British carrier Vodafone, and Lewinsky says they are intended for use by victims of cyberbullying when those victims–mostly teenagers–aren’t sure of what to say.

    “Thousands of people are bullied online—daily,” Monica Lewinsky writes in an article for Vanity Fair. “For World Safer Internet Day on February 9, it’s worth considering not only the many ways people can feel unsafe online but also new methods to help limit abusive behavior—or, at least, to blunt the emotional fallout. Support—whether it’s from friends or strangers—matters. Trust me on this. In today’s world, particularly online and especially for younger people, support—knowing you are not alone—is vital and can even save lives.”

    Monica Lewinsky’s app launched in September in European markets and will soon launch globally among all major cell phone carriers.

    Monica Lewinsky, who had a sexual affair with former President Bill Clinton as an intern, knows all too well the pain of cyberbullying. Hopefully her anti-bullying campaign will help others.

  • Rumer Willis Opens Up About Ongoing Cyberbullying That Continues Despite ‘DWTS’ Win

    Rumer Willis says she continues to struggle with on-line bullying despite winning Dancing with the Stars last season.

    However, the 26-year-old actress says she is learning to cope with the haters out there.

    Bullying is not a new thing for Rumer Willis, however, one would think her big win on DWTS would have curtailed the attacks. Not so much, according to Willis.

    “Just because I was celebrated on Dancing With the Stars doesn’t mean the bullying has stopped,” she told Glamour for the magazine’s July issue. “After the show started, I had to block almost 10 people every day on social media because they wouldn’t leave me alone.”

    Rumer took the high road, however, and gained self-confidence from her experience on the show, which helped her glean an new perspective on internet bullies.

    “When it happens now, I remind myself that focusing on people’s negative opinions will only make me feel like crap,” said Rumer Willis. “If I start to get discouraged, I take a step back and go, ‘All right, I don’t feel great today, but what can I do to shift how I’m thinking?’ It’s difficult, but the moment you stop saying, ‘I’m really fat,’ or ‘I’m ugly,’ and just say, ‘Wow, I have this,’ then you’ll see a change.”

    Rumer Willis said it has always been a challenge to grow up as the daughter of mom Demi Moore and dad Bruce Willis and was constantly called out because of her looks.

    “When you grow up in the public eye the way that I did, everyone’s looking at you and waiting for you to do something crazy or say something wrong or have a meltdown. I was constantly bullied because of my looks, so I struggled a lot with my body image. I wanted to have no butt; I wanted to have no boobs. For a long time I just wanted to look tiny and androgynous,” admitted Rumer Willis.

  • Kids Read Mean Tweets, Reminds Us Bullies Suck

    Kids Read Mean Tweets, Reminds Us Bullies Suck

    On Jimmy Kimmel Live! there’s an ongoing skit segment where “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets”, showcasing (as the name suggests) superstars reading hurtful tweets from average schmucks.

    Since celebrities are too privileged to bear the weight of feelings, it’s a good chuckle for us, reminding them that before they drove around in their golden Lamborghinis and swam in Luis Vuitton pools full of naked models, they too were once human:

    On March 11th, The Canadian Safe School Network and advertisement agency John St. published a video on YouTube titled “Kids Read Mean Tweets” which parodies the “Mean Tweets” series and takes the format to a whole new level.

    What starts off as presumed and familiar comedy turns into an inevitable backslap of reality proving once again that Canadians know better than us: Cyber-bullying is no joke.

    At first, a young girl reads a tweet slut shaming her with accompanying background laughter. The final kid on the screen lowers her head, reading a tweet that says, “No one likes you. Do everyone a favour. Just kill yourself.” before walking off the set.

    “It’s easy to laugh at rich celebrities reading some of the terrible things people have said about them online. We condone it. We even revel in it,” the advertiser, Canadian Safe School Network, said in a statement, as reported by AdWeek.

    “But this same behavior is turning almost 40 percent of Canadian kids into victims of cyberbullying. It’s a growing epidemic that invades their lives and leaves many feeling like there’s no way out.”

    Canadian Safe Schools even launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money, which would go into spreading the video around and raise awareness about the troubling issue.

    It’s unclear of whether or not the tweets are legitimate, as a Twitter search didn’t turn up or match some of the tweets featured in the video. Even if the messages are fabricated, it doesn’t derail the fact that cyber bullying is ongoing issue that pushes children to an early grave.

    Here’s hoping that some of those millions of nightly viewers that watch talk shows take a gander at a more serious issue. Perhaps NBC or Mr. Kimmel can find it in their hearts to make the video more prominent.

  • Monica Lewinsky Steps Back Into Public Spotlight To Fight Cyberbullying

    Returning back to the limelight is Monica Lewinsky, the ex-White House intern who had a sexual relationship with President Bill Clinton. Lewinsky has been slowly reemerging in the public eye by writing and delivering speeches, and she has even joined social media by making an official Twitter account on Monday, October 20.

    After one day of making the account @MonicaLewinsky, Lewinsky had more than 64,000 followers, evidence that people are interested to hear what she has to say. On Monday, Lewinsky spoke about cyber bullying at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia. Lewinsky has vowed to advocate on behalf of those whose lives were damaged by online attacks. She said she was inspired to take up the cause because of Tyler Clementi, the teen who committed suicide after he was caught on video having sex with another man. In an essay in Vanity Fair, Lewinsky wrote, “I am determined to have a different ending to my story. I’ve decided, finally, to stick my head above the parapet so that I can take back my narrative and give a purpose to my past.”

    Critics, however, have subjected Lewinsky to the same type of cyberbullying that she is fighting against. Besides trolls tweeting about details such as her weight problem and supposed promiscuity, articles such as a CNN opinion piece criticizing her timing on the Clementi issue and how Lewinsky’s return to the spotlight coincided with Hilary Clinton’s campaign for 2016 have spread on the Internet.

    — BluePrint El-Shabazz (@TheBluePrintSD) October 23, 2014

    — Jill (@ItsJustJill) October 23, 2014

    — Keating Thomas (@keatingthomas) October 20, 2014

    Lewinsky did refer to her affair with President Clinton in her speech on Monday, saying, “I fell in love with my boss in a 22-year-old sort of way.” As Mrs. Clinton’s campaign is centering on family, advancing policy ideas that will strengthen families through tough economic times, voters may see Lewinsky as a reminder of the chinks in the Clinton armor and a polarizing time in American politics.

  • ‘Severe’ Online Harassment Affects Nearly Half of Those Targeted

    If you’re active on social media, discussion sites, or comment boards, there’s a very high probability that you’re familiar with online harassment – whether you’ve experienced it or simply witnessed it. People can be terrible, and when you give them a cloak of anonymity things become even worse.

    Pew Research Center has just put out their first-ever survey entirety focused on online harassment and cyberbullying. What they found is that nearly 3 in 4 (73 percent) of people have seen someone being harassed online, while 40 percent claim to have experienced that harassment themselves.

    And when it comes to this harassment, it’s not just name calling. That’s a lot easier to ignore. According to Pew, a large percentage of those harassed report ‘severe’ forms of it.

    “Of those who have been harassed online, 55% (or 22% of all internet users) have exclusively experienced the ‘less severe’ kinds of harassment while 45% (or 18% of all internet users) have fallen victim to any of the ‘more severe’ kinds of harassment.” says Pew.

    Pew defines these ‘severe’ forms of online harassment as physical threats, stalking, longtime harassment of any kind, and sexual harassment.

    Of course, being called an offensive name is still a form of harassment – but stalking and threats of violence take it to a whole other level.

    Pew found that men were more likely to experience ‘less-severe’ forms of online harassment, while women were more apt to have to deal with sexual harassment and stalking. Young women (aged 18-24) in particular, are much more likely to be harassed.

    Pews’s study is pretty extensive, and you can read it all here.

    Image via Pew

  • Monica Lewinsky Talks Falling in Love With Bill Clinton

    Monica Lewinsky has a new goal in life–ending cyber bullying. But in the meantime she has managed to rehash–a.k.a. justify–her actions while serving as an intern under former President Bill Clinton. Lewinsky spoke Monday at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia, labeling herself the first genuine target of cyber bullying.

    “Overnight, I went from being a completely private figure, to a publicly humiliated one. I was patient zero–the first person to have their reputation completely destroyed worldwide via the Internet,” she said of the discovery that the president of the United States had cheated on the first lady with a 22-year-old intern.

    “There was no Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram back then,” she added. “But there were gossip, news and entertainment websites replete with comment sections and emails which could be forwarded. Of course, it was all done on the excruciatingly slow dial up. Yet around the world this story went. A viral phenomenon that, you could argue, was the first moment of truly ‘social media.’”

    And she’s right. The Monica Lewinsky scandal was probably the biggest to hit the U.S. in the age when most everyone had at least one computer in their home, along with internet connection. Regardless of the fact that it was no doubt dial-up back then, word of that beret and that cigar and Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky spread faster than wildfire and burned that young intern–as well as the reputation of a U.S. president–practically to ashes.

    And while Monica Lewinsky sort of hovers between justifying her actions and downright making excuses for them, it’s always important to remember that it takes (and took, back then) two to tango.

    Lewinsky told the Forbes Under 30 crowd that she “deeply regret(s the affair) for many reasons, not the least of which because people were hurt, and that’s never okay.”

    Lewinsky also cut her young self some slack, describing herself at the time as “more than averagely romantic.”

    “I fell in love with my boss. In a 22-year-old sort of way, it happens. But my boss was the president of the United States. That probably happens less often,” she said.

    Monica Lewinsky was among the less fortunate ones–and probably the only one since the computer age–to have her sexual activities with the president played out in everyone’s living rooms, home offices, and at their dining room tables. So yes, she knows full well the impact cyber bullying can have on a person’s life.

    Of course there is that little issue of timing, however, that those in the political arena are no doubt questioning. Why now? How convenient that the time is drawing near for Hillary Clinton to throw her hat in the proverbial presidential campaign ring.

    Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, you must admit that Hillary didn’t deserve what Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky did.

    The Christian Science Monitor says this new evolvement of Monica Lewinsky rates “somewhere above nuisance and below Anthony Weiner on the ‘Political-Death-Meter.’”

    (Yes, Monica–Anthony Weiner is this era’s Monica Lewinsky.)

    When Hillary was asked to comment about Lewinsky’s recent Vanity Fair article, she very simply said, “I’ve moved on.”

    But you see, Monica Lewinsky has joined Twitter in an effort to squelch cyber bullying. And that means she can say whatever she wants, whenever she wants–for all the Twitterverse (a.k.a. the world) to see.

    It seems Hillary’s people are on point, however.

    “Her team recently reviewed Clinton library documents labelled “Monica Lewinsky” last week and no new bombshells where revealed–a relief for the potential 2016 candidate,” the Christian Science Monitor reports.

    What’s your take on Monica Lewinsky dubbing herself the first cyber bullying victim? And do you think the timing of this reinvention of Monica has anything to do with Hillary’s possible run for president?

  • Monica Lewinsky Joins Twitter, Thousands Follow

    It seems that at 41-years-old, Monica Lewinsky is ready for her second act. The most famous former intern ever, announced herself to the Twitter world today with a simple tweet, “#HereWeGo.” She followed that an hour later with another tweet, “excited (and nervous) to speak to #Under30Summit.” In just under five hours, Lewinsky already has over 20,000 followers, and she’s already verified.

    Lewinksy’s Twitter bio says that she’s a “social activist. public speaker. contributor to vanity fair. knitter of things without sleeves.”

    Clearly, Lewinsky did not launch her Twitter account just to discuss knitting. She is using the social media platform as part of her campaign to end cyberbullying and internet shaming.

    She spoke today at Forbes’ inaugural 30 Under 30 summit in Philadelphia to a room full of about 1,000 accomplished millenials. “I was Patient Zero,” she said. “The first person to have their reputation completely destroyed worldwide via the Internet.”

    Who could forget the tabloid scandal of the Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky affair? The stained blue dress, the Presidential impeachment, the betrayal by Linda Tripp, the cigar. It was everyday fodder for the masses, and the public ate it up like a bad soap opera turned reality.

    “There was no Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram back then,” she said. “But there were gossip, news and entertainment websites replete with comment sections and emails which could be forwarded. Of course, it was all done on the excruciatingly slow dial up. Yet around the world this story went. A viral phenomenon that, you could argue, was the first moment of truly ‘social media’.”

    Lewinsky also talked today about her life after the scandal. The past 15 years have obviously not been easy. She was embarrassed and ashamed, she even confessed to having suicidal thoughts.

    She tried to move on with her life: handbag designer, reality dating show host, going back to school for a Masters Degree. But her past followed her everywhere.

    She finally realized in 2010, following the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who jumped from the George Washington Bridge after finding out his roommate secretly taped and shared video of him kissing a man, that she could make a difference. “That tragedy is one of the principal reasons I am standing up here today. While it touched us both, my mother was unusually upset by the story, and I wondered why. Eventually it dawned on me: she was back in 1998, back to a time when I was periodically suicidal; when she might very easily have lost me; when I, too, might have been humiliated to death.”

    Lewinsky believes that by sharing her story and Tyler’s tragedy, that she can help combat online harassment and cyberbullying. “Having survived myself, what I want to do now is help other victims of the shame game survive, too,” she said. “I want to put my suffering to good use and give purpose to my past.”

    If you would like to follow Lewinsky on Twitter, her handle is: @MonicaLewinsky.

  • Cyberbullying: Two Texas Parents Had Enough

    It seems the parents of a Texas high school student are fed up with their daughter being cyberbullied, and they’re doing something about it through the legal system.

    Reymundo Esquivel and Shellie Tingle-Esquivel are suing several teenage boys for including their daughter in an Instagram post entitled “2014 Klein Hoes.” They’re also suing the teens’ parents for negligence.

    According to the Esquivels, their daughter was the victim of online sexual harassment due to the Instagram post, which broke her down emotionally.

    “She was actually crying,” said Shelline Tingle-Esquivel. “She had her cell phone with Instagram, saying, ‘I can’t believe someone has done this to me.’ It’s changed her life tremendously.”

    And the offensive Instagram post–which has since been taken down–included topless photos of many female students attending Klein High School, which could bring child- pornography charges to those involved.

    Tej Paranjpe, the Esquivel’s lawyer, said going after the teenage boys and their parents is about sending a message, and it will hopefully put a stop to this type of behavior once and for all. “We’re being super aggressive about it,” he said. “Because this behavior really needs to stop.”

    According to a recent study, a lot of parents feel the same way, and they’re taking legal action to stop cyberbullying, instead of going through the school. In fact, 36 percent of parents said they would go to the police if they discovered their child was getting harassed online, and those percentages continue to increase.

    Jason Thomas, of Thomson Reuters, the company behind the study, said a lot of parents are just now understanding what cyberbullying really is, and since many of them are just now recognizing how harmful it can be, they’re now reacting in a major way.

    “Though cyberbullying is a challenging issue for students, parents, school officials and law enforcement, these statistics suggest that people want to work together to understand the issue, protect kids from cyberbullying, and help kids understand the serious consequences of participating in cyberbullying,” he said.

    Image via YouTube

  • Rebecca Sedwick Suicide: 2 Bullies Arrested

    Last month, 12 year old Rebecca Sedwick messaged a friend and told him, “I’m jumping and I can’t take it anymore.” Following that message, Sedwick went to a nearby silo and jumped, ending her life.

    This morning, police in Polk County, Florida arrested 2 suspects for aggravated stalking of Sedwick. The two girls, one aged 14 and the other aged 12, had been bullying Sedwick for months before the incident occurred.

    The abuse started at Crystal Lake Middle school, where Sedwick was constantly tormented by her two bullies after the 14 year old started dating Sedwick’s ex-boyfriend. Not only was Sedwick accosted with such verbal attacks as “You’re ugly,” “Why are you still alive?,” “Go kill yourself,” and “to drink bleach and die,” but she was also physically attacked by the 12 year old, resulting in her temporary suspension.

    Due to the constant abuse Sedwick faced, her parents decided to pull her out of Crystal Lake Middle School and home-school Rebecca. Following a break, the parents decide to enroll Sedwick in a different school, Lawton Chiles Middle Academy. While Sedwick seemed to be much more receptive to attending school here, the bullying followed her online.

    The break leading to the arrest came when the 14 year old girl posted the following on her Facebook page: “Yes IK I bullied REBECCA nd she killed her self but IDGAF.” (Translated as “Yes, I know I bullied Rebecca and she killed herself, but I don’t give a f*ck.”)

    Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated that the arrest came so quickly after the discovery of this post because, “We decided that we can’t leave her out there. Who else is she going to torment, who else is she going to harass?”

    Judd added, “If we can find any charges we can bring against their parents, we will,” especially considering the fact that Judd felt the parents were not doing their job as parents, allowing their 14 year old daughter to continue to use social media websites after her arrest.

    As it currently stands, the two girls most likely will not spend any time in juvenile detention due to not having a previous record and also due to the level of the violation – Aggravated stalking is a Class 3 Felony, only one step above a misdemeanor.

    Everyone has seen the impact that social media has made on our ability to communicate face to face, and the influence it has had upon our grammar. However, one often forgets how social media makes it very easy to harass and stalk others. In an age when children are being subjected to constant advertisements purporting the perfect body type or personality traits, social media can become a dangerous weapon for use by bullies. Perhaps Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd put it best when he stated, “As I child I can remember my mother telling me ‘sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you. Today, words stick, because they’re printed. And words are as hurtful — and sometimes more hurtful — as sticks and stones…Ask Rebecca’s family.”

    Image via Facebook

  • Facebook Brag Leads to Teens’ Arrest in Florida Bullying Case That Led to 12-Year-Old’s Suicide

    Facebook Brag Leads to Teens’ Arrest in Florida Bullying Case That Led to 12-Year-Old’s Suicide

    Two Florida teens have been arrested and charged with felony aggravated stalking in correlation with the suicide of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick, who jumped off a concrete silo last month. Authorities say that it was excessive bullying, both online and in-person, that led to her suicide.

    Two girls, a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, have been arrested as the main actors in the ongoing torment that led to Sedwick’s suicide. Although more than a dozen girls are thought to have contributed to the bullying offensive that took place over the year before Sedwick’s death, the two girls that have been charged are thought to have been the ringleaders.

    “According to witnesses, including a boyfriend of [bully 2] who had previously been Rebecca’s boyfriend, [Bully 2] had several arguments with Rebecca via Facebook, as well as verbal confrontations at school. During the incidents, Rebecca was observed walking away from [Bully 2] and not engaging, leading witnesses to determine that Rebecca was being bullied by [Bully 2]. [Bully 2] also reportedly bullied anyone who was friends with Rebecca. For this reason, some children did not want to be friends with Rebecca, out of fear of being bullied by [Bully 2],” says the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Witnesses reported that [Bully 2] sent messages to Rebecca, calling her ugly, telling her to drink bleach and die, and telling Rebecca that she [Rebecca] should kill herself. [Bully 2] tried to instigate physical fights with Rebecca on more than one occasion.”

    The bullying led Sedwick to be hospitalized after slitting her wrists back in December of 2012. Days before she jumped to her death, Sedwick reportedly changed one of her online screennames to “That Dead Girl” and messaged a boy saying, “I’m jumping.”

    Hours later, Sedwick went to an abandoned concrete plants and jumped off a silo.

    According to the Orlando Sentinel, police decided that they had enough to charge the girls after the 14-year-old posted this on Facebook:

    Yes ik [I know] I bullied Rebecca nd she killed her self but IDGAF [I don’t give a (expletive)]

    “That post was the tipping point,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “She forced this arrest.”

    Note: We’ve decided to withhold the names and images of the accused because of their extremely young age
    Image via Polk County sheriff’s Office, Facebook

  • Anonymous’ Latest Target Is Revenge Porn Magnate Hunter Moore

    Does the name Hunter Moore mean anything to you? Chances are you never heard of the guy. He runs a site that allows people to upload information on ex-lovers, including their names, social media profiles, photos and other details in an attempt to have the person stalked online. Now he’s moving to physical stalking by posting a person’s physical address, and Anonymous is having none of it.

    The hacktivist group has recently been on anti-bully spree that resulted in them “doxing” a man they accused of pushing a teen girl to suicide. The group sees Moore in much the same light – as an Internet bully. KY Anonymous started up #OpHuntHunter to find information on Moore and post it online.

    Anonymous has this to say about its latest operation:

    This is a call to all Anonymous worldwide, you have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of bullied teenagers and protect them from real harm such as rape or stalking.

    Hunter Moore, Founder of previous revenge pornography site isanyoneup.com is coming back stronger than ever from the shutdown of his previous website. This capitalist makes money off of the misery of others.

    People submit pictures of others naked to his website and he posted their social networking profiles along with the pictures.
    This time he is taking it a step further and plans to list physical addresses next to the victims pictures along with a map to their house, self proclaiming that he has singlehandedly enabled the stalking of hundreds.

    His servers are up. he already has domains he is secretly testing and will go public soon. He hides behind a loophole of section 230 of the United States online decency act which states he cannot be held legally accountable for third party submitted content.

    This is a call to all of anonymous. We Will hold hunter moore accountable for his actions, we will protect anyone who is victimized by abuse of our internet, we will prevent the stalking, rape, and possible murders as byproduct of his sites.

    BetaBeat notes that Moore’s address has been known for some time. Simply “doxing” him isn’t going to accomplish much. With that being said, sites like End Revenge Porn are jumping in with Anonymous in hopes of stopping Moore from continuing with his latest stunt. It will be interesting to see the response Anonymous gets from this latest move as some people still don’t particularly trust the group even when they use their power for vigilante justice.

  • Should Parents Be Held Responsible For Their Child’s Online Behavior?

    The Internet is a big, dangerous place where kids can get in all kinds of trouble. That’s at least the line fed to us by various groups that advocate parents take a stricter approach in monitoring their children’s Internet usage. It’s a noble sentiment, but can parents be held responsible for their child’s actions online?

    It’s an interesting question, and one that the German courts have been trying to tackle since 2007. At that time, a couple’s 13-year-old son had uploaded over 1,000 songs to various file-sharing networks. The record industry demanded that the kid’s parents pay the damages, but the parents refused and took the matter to court.

    Do you think parents should be held responsible for their child’s online actions? Let us know in the comments.

    According to TorrentFreak, the record companies argued in court that the parents could be held responsible for their child’s action because they didn’t fulfill their parental obligations. By that, the plaintiffs meant that the parents didn’t do enough to educate and monitor their child in the first place, which led to the aforementioned uploading of songs. The District Court agreed with the record companies and ordered the couple to pay €5,380.

    The parents took the case to the Court of Appeals, but they found no friends there either. The court once again ruled that the parents didn’t do enough to stop their son’s file-sharing. This time, however, the court said the cause was that the parents didn’t install some kind of monitoring or blockade software that would have prevented their son from installing file-sharing software on his computer.

    After almost five years of fighting, the parents took the case to the Federal Court. The highest court in the land overturned the two previous rulings, and freed the parents from any responsibility. In the ruling, the Federal Court said that the parents had already fulfilled their basic parental obligations by teaching their son right from wrong. It was assumed that part of that would mean telling their child that piracy is wrong. What’s more is that the court also ruled that the parents were not required to monitor their son’s online activities as the plaintiffs argued.

    ZDNet pointed to a report from German newspaper Die Zeit that said the verdict in Germany may very well open back up a few older cases where the parents had settled over their child’s behavior. The parents’ lawyer also said that it will “bring clarity to hundreds of his clients.”

    Do you agree with the court’s ruling? Was the court right to absolve the parents of any responsibility? Let us know in the comments.

    Unfortunately, there’s not really a specific precedent we can draw upon in the US, but there are similar cases. The question is whether or not a network operator can be held responsible for the people using their network. What if a friend torrents an album or a film on a friend’s wireless connection? Can they be held responsible for their friend’s action by not doing enough to prevent the piracy?

    Back in September, a California judge ruled that “negligence” can not be used to sue those whose network connections are used for piracy by others. In the ruling, the judge said:

    AF Holdings argues that it seeks to hold Hatfield liable for ‘negligent maintenance of his residential network,’ which it asserts allowed a third-party to commit large-scale infringement of AF Holdings’ copyrighted works. Specifically, AF Holdings alleges in the complaint that Hatfield owed it a duty to secure his Internet connection to prevent infringement of AF Holdings’ copyrighted works. Thus, the entirety of this claim involves the allegation that Hatfield failed to take certain steps – in other words, allegations of non-feasance (as opposed to misfeasance). AF Holdings has not articulated any basis for imposing on Hatfield a legal duty to prevent the infringement of AF Holdings’ copyrighted works, and the court is aware of none. Hatfield is not alleged to have any special relationship with AF Holdings that would give rise to a duty to protect AF Holdings’ copyrights, and is also not alleged to have engaged in any misfeasance by which he created a risk of peril.

    So, what does all this have to do with parents and responsibility? This case and others can serve as a precedent if a case involving a parent’s responsibility were to come up. It’s all deciding where the burden of responsibility lies. The courts have overwhelmingly decided that network operators can’t be held responsible, but what about parents? Following that same logic, should schools and other institutions in charge of our children be held responsible for their online actions?

    These are questions that the courts and parents will have to struggle with as the Internet becomes more pervasive in our lives. Young children are getting better at using the Internet, but the concept of having to pay for something might not be instilled into their moral compass. Sure, they know its wrong to steal a physical item, but is piracy really theft? Conflicting messages from both sides of the argument will only lead to more children pirating content with their parents being none the wiser until they start getting six-strikes warnings.

    It’s important to note that this question goes beyond piracy. Would courts accept arguments that children can’t be held responsible for other actions online, like cyberbullying? The public is more than willing to hunt down the adults involved in cyberbullying, but what about the children who take to the Internet to send hateful messages to others, at home and at school? Do we hold the parents and school responsible, or should the kids take some of the blame?

    Should children be held responsible for their online actions? Or should the parents or other authority figures take the blame? Let us know in the comments.

  • Facebook Ramps Up Its Anti-Bullying Initiative

    In honor of Bullying Prevention Month, Facebook it taking a few steps to insert itself deeper into the cause, including the launch of a new bullying resource page and the backing of a national ad campaign for bullying prevention.

    “For years we have worked to create policies, programs and tools to foster, accountability and trust in our community. These tools include a “real name culture” that ties peoples’ actions to their identities; easy-to-use reporting on virtually every piece of content; and an experience for minors with visibility and sharing settings that are generally more restrictive than settings for adults,” says Facebook.

    They say that the launch of the new “Prevent Bullying” page within the Safety Center is an extension of that commitment. The page includes just shy of a dozen links to various organizations like the National Network to End Domestic Violence, GLAAD, and The Bully Project. The page also features a couple of videos – one that was featured as a Facebook Story this month involving a bullied high-school soccer player and a new one that talks about reporting abusive content. You can check it out below:

    As you can see from the video, Facebook says they are seeing success with the “social resolution” product.

    “As a result of the latest research, we’ve rolled out new experiences for 13 and 14 year olds. The data is showing exciting initial results: we are seeing a 4X increase in people finding a resolution in the flow and 81% say they had a positive experience when engaging with the self resolution tools on Facebook,” says Facebook.

    The page also links to the Support Dashboard, which is Facebook’s way of letting users track the progress of every report they make – content that violates Facebook policy, harassing posts, etc. Facebook opened it up to all users earlier this month.

    Facebook is also using it’s Stop Bullying: Speak Up project to help spread a new anti-bullying ad campaign from the Ad Council.

    “Today, we are also standing with the Ad Council as it launches its bullying prevention advertising campaign on TV, in print and online. We are deeply integrating the Ad Council content into our Stop Bullying Speak Up program, now in its second year with more than a million “likes” and more than 140,000 young people and adults who have taken the pledge to be more than a bystander,” they say.

    Recent stories are proof that bullying is a problem, both online and offline. Any tools that Facebook, the largest social network in the world, can implement to help combat it are worth it.

  • Anonymous Hunts Down Alleged Bully That Pushed Teen To Suicide

    By now, the world is aware of Amanda Todd. The 15-year-old committed suicide after struggling with depression and being bullied. It was an unfortunate event that could have been avoided if more people had seen the warning signs and stepped in. Anonymous thinks that Todd’s case was special, however, and has tracked down the man they feel is responsible for her death.

    Anonymous is usually found targeting governments or corporations, but the group has recently turned to targeting online predators and pedophiles. The group posted a dox to pastebin yesterday that reveals the identity and address of who they claim extorted Todd for nude photographs. Those photographs were eventually leaked online, and Todd was soon subjected to bullying from the dark corners of the Internet.

    The bullying is most likely the main contributor to Todd’s death, but the original extortionist is the real villain in the eyes of Anonymous. The group issued a statement to CTV News after the network tracked down the alleged bully with the information provided:

    “We generally don’t like to deal with police first hand but were compelled to put our skills to good use protecting kids. Ironically we have some good people in Vancouver who brought this to our admin’s attention. It’s a very sad story that affects all of us.”

    As for the man accused by Anonymous for bullying Todd, he told CTV News that he knew Todd and thought of her as a friend. He also told the news network that he’s already cooperated with the Mounties by identifying a man who was harassing Todd.

    Anonymous can, and will, get things wrong. We can’t speak on the innocence or guilt of any person until formal charges are made. The investigation into Todd’s suicide is still ongoing with the Royal Mounties looking into any and all leads. For their part, Anonymous has started #OpRIP to hunt down those who bullied Todd.

    [h/t: Huffington Post]

  • Claims of Cyberbullying Epidemic May Be Exaggerated

    Let’s face it, kids are jerks – jerks that have been picking on other kids since the dawn of time. Bullies are a part of life, and sometimes bullying can make its way out of the schoolyard and into the everyday lives of adults – the office, perhaps. Bullying can be physical, but oftentimes it’s emotional. And in the past decade of so, we’ve been told of the rise in cyberbullying.

    Of course, the internet (and more recently, social media) has allowed for verbal abuse to expand past the face-to-face variety. We’ve been told that it’s an “epidemic,” and that kids and teenagers are being abused via Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. on a daily basis. We’ve even heard the horror stories – kids killing themselves because they couldn’t take it any more, or parents participating in the abuse of their kid’s enemies.

    Now, one psychologist is saying that we’ve really overblown the prevalence of cyberbullying.

    His claims came as a presentation at the American Psychological Association’s 120th Annual Convention.

    “Claims by the media and researchers that cyberbullying has increased dramatically and is now the big school bullying problem are largely exaggerated,” said psychologist Dan Olweus, PhD, of the University of Bergen, Norway. “There is very little scientific support to show that cyberbullying has increased over the past five to six years, and this form of bullying is actually a less frequent phenomenon.”

    In fact, citing a few large studies (one including over 450,000 grade 3-12 students), Olweus says that face-to-face bullying is still way more common than cyberbullying. On average, 18% of students reported face-to-face bullying. Only 5% said they’d ben cyberbullied. Also, 10% admitted to bullying (traditionally), while only 3% admitted to cyberbullying.

    Although that study was conducted in the United States, similar studies from other countries like Norway have produced similar results.

    Olweus says that 80 to 90 percent of those who said they had been cyberbullied were also victims of traditional bullying.

    “These results suggest that the new electronic media have actually created few ‘new’ victims and bullies,” Olweus said. “To be cyberbullied or to cyberbully other students seems to a large extent to be part of a general pattern of bullying where use of electronic media is only one possible form, and, in addition, a form with low prevalence…Nonetheless, there are some forms of cyberbullying — such as having painful or embarrassing pictures or videos posted — which almost certainly have negative effects. It is therefore important also to take cyberbullying seriously both in research and prevention.”

    Even if cyberbullying isn’t quite the epidemic that some think it is (and this is just one study), its consequences are well known. Incredibly prevalent of not, it needs to be addressed an counteracted with vigor.

  • Schools Discuss New Student/Teacher Policies for Facebook and Twitter

    In the classroom, it’s a good thing when students follow along with their teachers, and it’s even better if the class likes the instructor. Still, new considerations have arisen, as some see a connection on a social network being not much different than a teacher tutoring a student after school hours. The question of whether or not school administrators should be notified when a student “likes” or “follows” a teacher on a social media network is up for debate in the Miami-Dade and Broward County districts.

    Today, Miami-Dade School Board member Raquel Regalado plans to bring a new policy that would prompt teachers to notify their principals when a connection on a social network is made with a student. In the Broward district, a community of parents, students and staff have likewise been developing a system of online etiquette to help combat cyberbullying. Jeanine Gendron, director of instructional technology for Broward County Public Schools states, “what’s appropriate in your face-to-face conversation with people, being respectful, and having good social etiquette, should also be followed online.” In Broward, the district’s technology use policy hasn’t been looked at since 1996, long before social media, smartphones and tablets were a part of curriculum.

    Gendron states that no restrictions on student/teacher social networking have yet been implemented, and Regalado claims that she doesn’t seek to limit online interaction, but would like to get a better picture of how many teachers are engaging in social networks. “We need that information. If the results come back, and only 5 percent of our employees have these links on social media, it’s not going to keep me up at night. If it’s 78 percent, then we have to have a serious conversation about what they can post for students to see, how they’re posting and assessing any other needs,” Regalado said.

    Nationally, teachers have been getting fired over Facebook posts as of late. A schoolteacher in Maine recently posted nude photo of himself on his Facebook wall, prompting his resignation. And in New Jersey, first grade teacher Jennifer O’brian was fired for referring to her students as being “future criminals.”

    Parry Aftab, executive director of Wired Safety made the simple suggestion that teachers might set up separate social networking accounts for personal and professional use.

  • Kathleen Edward (Little Girl Who Was Taunted On Facebook While Dying) Has Died

    Kathleen Edward (Little Girl Who Was Taunted On Facebook While Dying) Has Died

    A little girl named Kathleen Edward from MIchigan has passed away after losing a battle with Huntington’s Disease. This little girl made headlines in 2010, in one of the most sickening cyberbullying stories we’ve seen to date.

    This reportedly included things like a picture of Kathleen placed on a set of crossbones and a picture of her grandmother in the Grim Reaper’s arms. The grandmother’s neighbor Jennifer Petkov had been responsible for posting these things on Facebook.

    FOX 2 in Detroit reports:

    Petkov admitted to FOX 2’s Ron Savage that she posted the photos…

    Petkov’s cyberbullying drew scrutiny and well-wishes for Kathleen poured in from around the world. Thousands attended a rally in October 2010 to help raise money for the Edward family. Volunteers even treated her to a shopping spree at a local toy store.

    The station ran this report about in 2010:

    Woman Who Taunted Dying Girl Now Offers Apology: MyFoxDETROIT.com

    As a father, I find the whole thing incredibly repulsive, but then again, I also find it repulsive as a human being.

    The Huntington’s Disease Society of American Michigan Chapter is accepting donations, as is the Michigan Memorial Funeral Home. Donations can be made in Robert Edwards’ (Kathleen’s father’s) name.

  • Justin Bieber, Facebook and MTV Partner on Cyberbullying Initiative

    Pop superstar (and Grammy nominated) Justin Bieber is partnering with Facebook and MTV’s A Thin Line to help stop digital abuse – things like cyberbullying, online stalking, and "textual harassment." If anyone has the power to do so, it would be Bieber, who has a ridiculous amount of influence over the young’ns. Facebook and MTV are pretty big too. 

    "Bieber is calling on young people to join him by posting an action to stop digital abuse on Draw Your Line, MTV’s virtual map tracking actions taken across the country," Facebook’s Andrew Noyes tells WebProNews. "Each time someone posts an action today through March 31st, they’ll be eligible to enter to win one of several prizes, including a personalized voicemail greeting recorded by Justin Bieber."

    The Grand Prize is a trip for two (and backstage passes) to a taping of MTV’s "The Seven" and a personalized voicemail greeting recorded by Bieber himself. There are also three first prizes – just the voicemail recording. Ten second prizes will get 250 Facebook Credits? 

    What’s that a plug for Facebook Credits too? Also a smart way for Facebook to get Facebook Credits in front of more eyeballs. They are the future of payments right? Who better to help spread the brand than Bieber? See aforementioned influence. 

    In a related story, a new study finds that too many Facebook friends can be quite stressful. 

  • Facebook Redesigns Its Safety Center

    Facebook said today it has introduced a new redesigned Safety Center with new resources aimed at informing parents, educators, teens and members of law enforcement about tools for staying safe on the popular social network.

    The new Safety Center now has four times the number of pages focused on safety topics than was previously available.

    Facebook worked directly with its Safety Advisory Board on the redesign. The board provided advice on topics to address within the Center, including protections against cyberbullying; how to report a policy violation; and information for educators on using the service.

    Elliot-Schrage-Facebook.jpg The Safety Center includes content for parents developed by Common Sense Media, a member of Facebook’s Safety Advisory Board, on topics such as "How do I teach my teen to use the Internet wisely?" and "Can I ‘friend my teen on Facebook?"

    "There’s no single answer to making the Internet or Facebook safer," said Elliot Schrage, Vice-President of Global Communications and Public Policy at Facebook. "That’s why we’re introducing new tools and advice for parents, educators and teens."

    "We want our approach for improving safety to be as simple, easy and effective as our approach to improving Facebook’s user experience. Our Safety Advisory Board has been a tremendous resource in developing this next generation of safety resources and offering us ideas for new initiatives.  Going forward, you’ll see even more powerful – and simpler – safety innovations coming from Facebook."

    Facebook said it used the European Union’s Safer Social Networking Principles, a set of best practices adopted by social networking sites, to shape the new design.

    The Facebook Safety Advisory Board consists of five Internet safety organizations. The organizations include Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, WiredSafety, Childnet International, which aims to fight cyberbullying,