Online
abuse is to be made an offence under new rules brought out today, Labour
Senator Mary Moran has said. She was speaking as a report on internet
safety was published today by an expert group established by Minister for
Communications, Pat Rabbitte.
“Online
bullying and harassment are relatively new phenomena, but they can cause
anguish and severe distress for innocent young people.
“This
report sets out clear, practical steps to deal with cyberbullying. Crucially,
it addresses an anomaly which exempted online abuse from the law dealing with
threatening, indecent or offensive messages. Now, sending abuse by ‘electronic
communications’, or cyberbullying, will be included as an offence under the
law.
“To
ensure greater safety online for children in public areas, a new
family-friendly logo will be developed, that lets users know a public wi-fi
access point is filtering adult content.
“At
government level, a new National Council for Child Internet Safety will ensure
that the issue of online abuse is not allowed to fall off the radar.
“This
report will now go to government, and Minister Rabbitte has made it clear that
he is determined to act on its recommendations, which will make for a safer
environment for young people online.”
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