Editing Troll (slang) (section)

=== United Kingdom ===

In the United Kingdom, contributions made to the Internet are covered by the [[Malicious Communications Act 1988]] as well as Section 127 of the [[Communications Act 2003]], under which jail sentences were, until 2015, limited to a maximum of six months.<ref name=BBCNews>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29678989|title=Internet trolls face up to two years in jail under new laws|work=[[BBC News]]|date=19 October 2014|access-date=19 October 2014}}</ref> In October 2014, the UK's Justice Secretary, [[Chris Grayling]], said that "Internet trolls" would face up to two years in jail, under measures in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill that extend the maximum sentence and time limits for bringing prosecutions.<ref name=BBCNews /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/Internet-trolls-to-face-2-years-in-prison|title=Internet trolls to face 2 years in prison|author=UK Ministry of Justice|date=20 October 2014|access-date=15 February 2015}}</ref> The House of Lords Select Committee on Communications had earlier recommended against creating a specific offence of trolling. Sending messages which are "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character" is an offence whether they are received by the intended recipient or not. Several people have been imprisoned in the UK for online harassment.<ref name="Tom de Castella and Virginia Brown">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14898564 |title=Trolling: Who does it and why? |author1=Tom de Castella |author2=Virginia Brown |date=14 September 2011 |work=BBC News Magazine|access-date=14 September 2011}}</ref>

Trolls of the testimonial page of Georgia Varley faced no prosecution due to misunderstandings of the legal system in the wake of the term trolling being popularized.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2012/01/14/georgia-varley-inspired-trolling-law-is-waste-of-time-says-internet-campaigner-100252-30120150/ |title=Georgia Varley-inspired trolling law is waste of time says internet campaigner|work=Liverpool Echo |access-date=2 February 2012|date=14 January 2012}}</ref> In October 2012, a twenty-year-old man was jailed for twelve weeks for posting offensive jokes to a support group for friends and family of [[Murder of April Jones|April Jones]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/10/08/man_jailed_for_12_weeks_over_april_jones_facebook_posts/|title=Lancashire man JAILED over April Jones Facebook posts|work=[[The Register]]|date=8 October 2012|access-date=11 December 2012}}</ref>

Between 2008 and 2017, 5,332 people in London were arrested and charged for behavior on social media deemed in violation of Communications Act 2003.<ref>[https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/crimes-social-media Crimes Social Media]. ''www.london.gov.uk''. Accessed 6 Aug 2024.</ref>