‘Tougher penalties may be needed to deal with Twitter and Facebook users who are “deliberately naming and abusing” rape victims online, a legal adviser to the Crown Prosecution Service has said.’
The Guardian, 9th July 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Controversial emergency laws will be introduced into the Commons next Monday to reinforce the powers of security services to require phone companies to keep records of their customers’ calls.’
The Guardian, 10th July 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘News of concern over child abuse on the dark net came within a month of the children’s entertainer and artist Rolf Harris being convicted and sentenced for historic indecent assaults on more than one complainant. The full sentencing remarks are here. Other counts for making indecent images of children were separated and then not pursued. News reports are that paedophilic search terms were entered into his computer which suggests that the searches were done on open sources. It was also reported that Rolf Harris had notes on how to delete the internet history. Paedophilic activity is often cited as a reason to regulate the internet but caution needs to be exercised so as not to lose the essential freedoms that the web was designed to achieve.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 8th July 2014
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
‘A group of family members and friends have been jailed for their parts a “highly organised” criminal enterprise selling stolen goods on eBay.’
BBC News, 8th July 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A crackdown on hoaxers who trick people out of money via copycat government websites has been launched as the Coalition takes action following thousands of complaints over the practice.’
Full story
The Independent, 7th July 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Google has come under fire for its “clumsy” approach to obeying Europe’s new “right to be forgotten” law, after it began blocking some name-based searches to articles on the websites of UK news organisations. The Guardian, Daily Mail and BBC complained about the search engine implementing a ruling made in May by Europe’s highest court, the European court of justice, by starting to remove links to some pages when searches are made against particular names.’
The Guardian, 3rd July 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Seven internet service providers have filed a legal complaint against the UK’s intelligence agency GCHQ.’
BBC News, 2nd July 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Government is to consider a change in the law to stop ‘revenge porn’ where men post explicit pictures of their former wives or girlfriends online.’
The Independent, 1st July 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Theresa May is continuing to push for a change in the law to give police and security services the power to access email and social media.’
BBC News, 25th June 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Two sex attackers from Peterborough who targeted teenage girls via Facebook have been jailed.’
BBC News, 20th June 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The government’s arguments for justifying the mass monitoring of the internet are “unconvincing” and based on exploiting “loopholes” in legislation, the former chief surveillance inspector has said.
The Guardian, 18th June 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Novelist Jeanette Winterson has caused a minor storm on Twitter by posting pictures of a rabbit she killed, cooked and ate after it entered her garden. But what does the law in England and Wales say on the issue, asks Justin Parkinson.’
BBC News, 18th June 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Mass surveillance of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and even Google searches, is permissible because these are “external communications”, according to the government’s most senior security official.’
The Guardian, 17th June 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Jake Newsome was jailed last week for posting offensive comments online. His is the latest in a string of cases that have led to prison terms, raising concern that free speech may be under threat from over-zealous prosecutors.’
The Guardian, 13th June 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2025