Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

It's emerged that facebook petitioned for exemption from being responsible for hate speech & hate crime on it's site last year:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crim...RcPqWwdP3QyQKw

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Hardly an earth shattering revelation.

Posters are responsible for what they post, not the site/software they use.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

This new bill puts a lot more responsibility onto the sites themselves, though it is proposed to allow them various defences.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Devised by clueless idiots who have no idea how the internet and sites work.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

There is a sanction of blocking sites (amongst others) that don't comply with UK rules; they must be able to do this as some countries do this to block western sites.

I suppose people could use a VPN to get round this, but how many would go to the trouble & expense? They may also face personal sanctions for accessing proscribed sites and the free VPN providers are said to be dodgy.

So, whilst people could risk doing it, I think that it would seriously damage the viability of a website. Trump threatened to block tik toc in the USA unless it was sold to an American company.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

There are plenty of free VPN's that are not dodgy, even Opera has a built in VPN that is only one click to use. If you have to install a VPN all you do is run the software they provide, definitely not rocket science. I use a VPN for all sorts of reasons when i need to. A simple google search will give anyone after a VPN all the info they need.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Supported by the same.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I was going by reports such as this that say that you effectively pay for all VPN's, either with your money or your data:

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/best-fre...ey-dont-exist/

People can use them for privacy/security, but whose to say that the VPN provider is trustworthy even if it's a paid for service? Do VPN's check for illegal material and go on to report it?? I don't mean for things like pirated films, but terrorism, illegal porn etc.

Having said that, I would be more inclined to trust something like Opera.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Which VPN do you use Pip?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Ive used several different ones over the past few years, currently using Windscribe.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Free or Pro?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Custom.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Thanks

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Gets a pretty good write up here..

https://www.techradar.com/uk/reviews/windscribe

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

So if the free ones are as good as the paid for VPN's, why would anyone pay for a VPN??

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Who said the free ones were as good as the paid ones?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Sirius said that there are plenty of free VPN's that aren't dodgy, which I took to mean that they are as good as the paid ones. Is this not the case? What i'm really wanting to know is what extra do you get for your money?

Also, how do the free ones make their profit? Even if they aren't dodgy as such do they, for example, sell on certain details of your internet traffic to advertisers or something?

Why would a customer like yourself who'se used both paid and free services ever pay for a VPN ever again?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

what i meant was that there are free VPN providers not run by dodgy providers. A paid service will nearly always give you a much better option. The option i always look for is that the provider does not keep logs. You never know when a dodgy law will come in to effect that removes yet more privacy and freedom. Not that i am doing anything dodgy i just don't see why my surfing the net should be watched.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

^^^^What he said^^^^

There's also the matter of speeds.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Interesting, thanks. I suppose the free ones may also limit how much bandwidth you can use, with an option to purchase more and that's how they make their money.

So do the free ones tend to be slower? Are the paid ones just as fast as not using a VPN at all?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I guess they are - just - because if those posts causing problems are sent via a VPN, this will be an impediment to tracking down who sent them, and if decent VPNs are free, this makes it easy for anyone to be able to hide behind anonymity.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

An interesting programme on Radio 4 yesterday:

"In the early days of the internet, trolls were nothing to fear.

Malicious trolls are now the dominant type across our shared internet spaces, their numbers are rising, and their influence spreading both online and off, causing harm to both individuals and wider society.

Aleks Krotoski explores troll evolution, finding out why maliciousness became an evolutionary advantage in the digital space, and asking what happens when being a troll is becoming the new normal.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sqsb

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Why not just trace the IP Address of the Troll? Most Trolls dont have the knowledge to hide their IP via a VPN etc they r just gormless.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Thanks Alan, one of my late dads favourite words - haven't heard it since we lost him so nearly 10 years - brought back some happy memories and gave me something to smile about :):):)

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

From 7:24 mins in, the daughter of Captain Sir John Moore talks about having to protect him from online abuse towards him and his family. As a result, she supports the forthcoming Online Harms Bill and thinks such individuals should be named & shamed:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sr3w

These trolls can't even leave a 100 year old inspirational man alone can they.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

From one extreme to another, they are trolling a 16 year old girl because her father is gay:

https://attitude.co.uk/article/blues...VT83HKtfMHc13g

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Talking of trolling, maybe the police could investigate the tabloids for bullying a members Royals because they don't like the colour of her skin. Mustn't spoil the Royal bloodline, must we?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

:tu:

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

:tu:

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

:tu:

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Maybe they should, be interesting to watch some peoples heads explode when it emerges it isn't because of the colour of her skin but the content of her character that's caused the problems, like most things it's never as simple to dismiss as it's racism imo

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

What do you really know about her character though, beyond what we get from our wonderful media who have a history of victimising those they don't like? Her successful court case against the Mail will have really angered them.

Don't blame those 2 for running far away from the country, the media were responsible for his Mother's death too.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I know that they left the country "like anyone else would" to escape press intrusion and then actively courted them at every opportunity since, they want their cake and eat it and are hypocrites, personally I'd be happy to never hear from them again but I doubt they'll let that happen. Oh yes his mother, if only she'd been wearing a seatbelt that sad night.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I find myself agreeing with TheDaddy here, in my opinion (not that it's worth the time and effort to type it) they're just another couple of no mark 'C' class celebrities crying foul and craving for all the media attention they can get.

I do think that she's the boss and main instigator though, he's probably just wanting to keep his head down and write a book :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

What’s getting really tiresome is that you seemingly can’t publicly state you don’t like Megan without idiots simply assuming you’re racist.

A few CF members know me personally enough to be aware it’s pretty unlikely I could legitimately be accused of racism.

I openly admit I don’t like her. No I don’t know her personally and no I don’t think she gives a monkeys what I think about her.

From the moment she appeared on the scene I knew she’d be trouble. Firstly she’s an outsider on many levels. American, outspoken, an ‘activist’, headstrong. Not saying I think there’s anything wrong with those (well maybe the first…) but the Royal Family is an institution with pretty much set-traditions. You’re basically to tow the line if you join.

Again, not saying that’s a good or bad thing, it’s just a ‘thing’. Megan comes across as quite headstrong (I’d say she wears the trousers…) and that’s never going to go down well for someone trying to ‘join the club’.

I’ve made those points countless times online in the past. Each time I get someone replying with something along the lines of “yeah….just admit you don’t like her because she’s black”.

BS.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

it's embarrassing that royal prince's ambition amounts to wanting be a UK version of the Kardashians

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I think it’s more about things like this...

https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/w...bedb1__700.jpg

https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/w...75b69__700.jpg

https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/w...4c783__700.jpg

https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/w...4-png__700.jpg

https://i2.wp.com/afrinik.com/wp-con...08%2C453&ssl=1

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Is there any evidence that he wants a big ass:)

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Andrew’s already in the Royal Family (speaking of embarrassments to the ”Firm")...

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I'm lost - what "race" is she ?
I wasnt aware she was anything other than 'white'.

For the record, I dont really care about or follow the "royals".
But the impression I get is thats shes a self important, control freak.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Where have you got that impression from? Knowing her personally? Or something you read?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I bet a quick poll of the whole Country would reveal 64.81% of the population have the same opinion.

The others have an allotment :p: :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

92.4527% of statistics on the internet are made up - Abraham Lincoln.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

You know her? No didn't think so but that didn't stop you saying those having a pop at her were racists earlier did it and that was the only reason for the stories

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Yes.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

So she's decided to fight back rather than quietly be another victim of the British tabloids and the Royal mafia. Good for her. The fact that she's succeeding in the courts and elsewhere has angered the media greatly. The colour of her skin always was an issue for many; it reflects badly on this country that racism is still alive and well. The amount of pages devoted to this drivel is obscene given everything else going on in the country and World. Those that buy and obsess over this crap are no better.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

If you continually pop your head up and stick your tongue out, people will keep shooting at it.

It's the Meghan version of 'whack-a-mole' :D

*gets hammer ready

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

She was chasing interviews and deals a LONG time ago. It is that sort of behaviour from her that is being criticised.
She is the one constantly banging on about her "race", eg referring to herself in "As A Woman Of Color And As Your Sister". Also before the wedding, non-white people were also referring to her "colour".

She only supports groups that are non-white and/or all-female, and that includes her family. Not seen a sign of her supporting a more generalised group or cause.
Eg
Nobody would be even the slightest bit interested in Meghan Markle. That is why she sought out a famous husband, the more famous the better.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

The Harry, formerly known as Prince. :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I’m just loving seeing Mr K defending privileged millionaires married to ultra privileged royals.

Viva la revolution!

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I'm not, it's actually pretty pathetic, claiming people criticising her are only doing it because they're racist, might not be so bad if he actually knew her

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

And you do know her? It's strange that from day one the tabloid knives were out for this lady, wonder why? Not the same as the 'People's Princess' for some reason.

Royals and there petty fueds should be nowhere near the headlines. They're increasingly irrelevant. The biggest joke is that you and me are funding them.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I didnt think we were funding her royal meghaness any more ?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I've already said I didn't know her when you asked me the other day just like you have done with everyone else who criticised her, you don't know her either but that hasn't stopped you defending her and throwing racism accusations about though. I don't think they have been against her from day one, quite the oppisite in fact I think they were very supportive until the wedding, wonder what happened to get their goat after? That is one thing we do agree on though, I'd rather not see, hear or fund any of them again unless it's Andy getting his collar fealt for any offences he may be guilty of.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Gareth Shaw from Which? went on television today to reiterate the call from his employer & Martin Lewis for the forthcoming Online Harms Bill to include internet scams as part of the remit for Ofcom to deal with incidents of harm caused by inappropriate use of the internet:

https://press.which.co.uk/whichstate...s-bill-update/

Martin Lewis supports this as those with mental health illnesses or disabilities are three more times more likely to be the victim of online scams:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ne...e-harms-mmhpi/

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Still trying to work out what this has to do with internet trolls and the police getting tough with them.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Well doesn't Trolling fall under the purview of the online harms bill? So what is being added to the same bill is pertinent to the conversation.

I think it is good. Trolling and Online bullying can cause tremendous harm as can online scams ( along with any other scam of course ) So adding them all to the bill and hopefully it going forward will bring more powers to the Police for both Trolling, Bullying and Scams all under the same law set

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Only one way you'll stop online trolls, abuse and scams . .

shut the internet down

oh, can't do that

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Tracking people down on the internet is a lot easier than you think. Most people have no idea what a VPN is and they can not rely on Tor anymore as a number of their exit nodes are closely monitored. Just need laws in place so they can be traced easier. ( I know this will have numbers of people crying civil rights ) of course the scammers are a different kettle of fish but anything is better than what we have at present

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Yup & I totally agree.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I think the police have enough on their plate at the moment trying to stop these so-called legal protests, where every thug and their dog tag along to and create absolute mayhem, you'd need another police force to trawl through all the shit on the web to bring so called web trolls to boot.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Frankly, I think this is a dangerous path to take at a time when everyone and his dog likes to exercise their right to be offended on behalf of others as well as themselves. This is a snowflake's ecstatic dream that Harry and Meghan would be happy to get off on.

I really don't think that this idea is conducive to free speech, although of course threats and the use of derogatory language to a person in a hateful way should always be challenged.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Well it doesn't happen too often, but this is one of those rare times I agree with you.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

The Telegraph is reporting that, under the Online Harms legislation, websites that don't take enough action to protect their vulnerable users face fines of up to 13 billion pounds & could have their sites blocked to users in the UK.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

It was said on 'Preston' earlier this evening that broadcasters & newspapers are to be exempt as the Government believes that they already have robust & appropriate moderation in place to prevent harm, discrimination, harassment etc of vulnerable people & minority groups.

I do have to say that I haven't experienced harassment, abuse or discrimination of myself or others on the forums/comments section of these organisations, but maybe this has been the result of chance/luck. I really don't know.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I have been asked to post the following information:

If you've been impacted by online bullying, you can call the Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393 or visit www.mind.org.uk for guidance and support.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

What do you class as online bullying? I got a 2 (or 3) day ban once, does that count?

I also frequently see information that, unless I disable my add blocker, I can't read articles on some sites . . is that bullying?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

This police factsheet should answer your question:

There are many ways of bullying someone online and for some it can take shape in more ways than one. Some of the types of cyber bullying are:

Harassment - This is the act of sending offensive, rude, and insulting messages and being abusive. Nasty or humiliating comments on posts, photos and in chat rooms. Being explicitly offensive on gaming sites.

Denigration – This is when someone may send information about another person that is fake, damaging and untrue. Sharing photos of someone for the purpose to ridicule, spreading fake rumours and gossip. This can be on any site online or on apps. We even hear about people altering photos of others and posting in online for the purpose of bullying.

Flaming – This is when someone is purposely using really extreme and offensive language and getting into online arguments and fights. They do this to cause reactions and enjoy the fact it causes someone to get distressed.

Impersonation – This is when someone will hack into someone’s email or social networking account and use the person's online identity to send or post vicious or embarrassing material to/about others. The making up of fake profiles on social network sites, apps and online are common place and it can be really difficult to get them closed down.

Outing and Trickery – This is when someone may share personal information about another or trick someone into revealing secrets and forward it to others. They may also do this with private images and videos too.

Cyber Stalking – This is the act of repeatedly sending messages that include threats of harm, harassment, intimidating messages, or engaging in other online activities that make a person afraid for his or her safety. The actions may be illegal too depending on what they are doing.

Exclusion – This is when others intentionally leave someone out of a group such as group messages, online apps, gaming sites and other online engagement. This is also a form of social bullying and a very common.

Bullying by spreading rumours and gossip

The worst thing about social networking sites and messaging apps is that anything nasty posted about you can be seen by lots of people and these posts can go viral very fast and be shared by so many people within minutes in some cases.

From what we have heard from people who have been bullied online, the most vicious gossip and rumours are often spread by people who were once your best friends so it's best to keep secrets and personal information to yourself. Only tell people things if it wouldn't embarrass you if other people found out about them. Posting false and malicious things about people on the internet can be classed as harassment.

Threatening behaviour

Anyone who makes threats to you on the internet could be committing a criminal offence. It's against the law in the UK to use the phone system, which includes the internet, to cause alarm or distress. It could also be against the 1997 Harassment Act. If threats are made against you then it's essential you confide in your parents, or someone you trust so that they can make a complaint to the police. If you can't print out the threats use the "print screen" button or snipping tool to take a snapshot of the computer screen and then save that somewhere safe. Or if you have a phone or tablet, use the screenshot function and keep these images safe.

Blackmail and grooming

We have had many complaints from young people that new "friends" online have tried to pressure them into taking their clothes off and filming or taking images of themselves. Threats have been made that their parent will be told embarrassing things if they don't take part or they will send the images to everyone they know if they do not do it.

This is an offence called "grooming" in the UK and people who have been found guilty of "grooming" have been jailed. Remember: everyone you meet on the internet is a stranger and you need to keep personal things personal to you, don't share your secrets with other people and if anyone asks you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable then don't do it.

We often hear of people in relationships trying to make their boyfriend or girlfriend send sexting images of themselves to prove they love them or want to be with them. It is against the law for anyone under the age of 18 to take, send or redistribute pictures of anyone under the age of 18.

CEOP is The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and they investigate cases of sexual abuse and grooming on the internet. You can report incidents by clicking the red button on the top right hand corner of the CEOP website. Although the police can get information from your computer's hard drive, it is helpful if you don't delete anything until the police have decided whether they need it as evidence.

When comments gets abusive

There are quite a few instant messaging apps including Snapchat, WhatsApp, Secret, Whisper and Instagram. They are a great way of sharing things with your friends and having fun. But if things turn nasty you can block people from seeing you are on line and you can save abusive conversations or print them out as evidence.

It's tempting to have a go back if someone makes a rude posting on your online space, social network or app but don't. This is called flaming and it just makes the problem worse. Abusive comments are very upsetting but the best way to deal with them is to get them removed by the website. Read our advice on bullying on social networks to find out how to remove comments.

Inappropriate images

It's easy to save any pictures of anyone on any site and upload them to the internet. Make sure that you have the person's permission to take a picture and that they're happy for thousands of people to see it on the internet. Be wary of tagging and hashtags as this will send the picture out to a wider audience then you may have originally intended.

Don't upset people and then upload their pictures for other people to have a laugh. That could be harassment. Don't digitally alter pictures of people either because what you think is funny may be offensive to other people. Don't let anyone take pictures of you that might embarrass you.

Innocent bystander

There is no such thing as an innocent bystander and if you have seen someone being bullied online, you can report it to the online site or app. Ignoring it may feel like the easiest thing to do but the person who is being subjected to that bullying may need your help and support to get it stopped. Most sites now have a report button which is something you can do and this will send the bullying comments to the site to investigate.

Tips and advice

If you post abuse about anyone else online or if you send threats, you can be traced by the police without any difficulty. Every time you visit a website or make a posting, your internet service provider, Sky, BT or Virgin, has an electronic note of your activity. Even if create an anonymous email address like Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo, you can still be traced.

Keep safe by using unusual passwords. Use a combination of letters, lowercase, uppercase, symbols and numbers. Don't use any part of your name or email address and don't use your birth date either because that's easy for people who know you to guess. Don't let anyone see you signing in and if they do, change the password as soon as you can.
If you are using a public computer such as one in a library, computer shop, or even a shared family computer, be sure to sign out of any web service you are using before leaving the computer so that you can protect your privacy.
Being bullied online can affect someone enormously. Being bullied can impact on a person’s self-esteem, confidence and social skills. We have supported people affected by this type of bullying, and in many cases they have had to leave school, work and social networks to escape bullying. Try to consider the impact your words may have and think twice before posting.

Think twice before you post anything online because once it’s out there you can’t take it back. It is easy for any comments or posts you make online to be taken out of context and these could be damaging to you in the long term. Read more about digital footprints and how this can affect your life both online and offline
Getting help

There are many ways of getting help to get the cyber bullying to stop. Please read our advice article on bullying on social networks and apps if you want advice on this specific area. Our advice on how to deal with cyber bullying has lots of tips that can help too.

If you would like further support and advice, you can contact us for advice and support. You can call our helpline on 0808 800 2222 or email us at askus@familylives.org.uk. You can talk to us online via our live chat service which is open, Monday to Friday between 1.30pm and 5.30pm.

West Mercia Police have produced informative advice sheets on what to do if you are being bullied online.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Crikey, that's an awful lot of things (but nowhere near completely exhaustive) showing just how careful we have to be when communicating over the internet.

I'm now pretty sure that I've been bullied on many occasions, however proving it was bullying - instead of humerous banter which it used to be - is no doubt going to be a problem.

Physical abuse is also something I suffered a few times at school, but I guess I can't do anything about that as it was before 'the cane' was outlawed deemed to be inapropriate . . much the same as the clip around the ear I had from the villiage bobby a few times.

Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk, I'll just have to learn to live with it.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Sometimes a claim of banter is made in an attempt to try and get away with bullying. The best person to ask which it actually is (whether meant as a joke or otherwise) is the recipient themselves as it is they who get to decide.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Yes I think I understand that, however my 60+ years experience has shown me that one persons joke is another persons slur, and in this day and age (online) it's especially difficult to identify and cater for your 'target audience' to ensure the joke (or humerous aside) isn't taken the wrong way.

There are thousands (well maybe not) of recent examples where people are apologising profusely because they didn't fully evaluate the target audience (the public in many cases).

I often have trouble because I'm an old fuddy duddy set in his ways, and find it difficult to adapt to the new rules and things being rolled out every week or so . . I even now have to convert metric measurements into imperial so I understand how big or small something is . . if you over estimate a delivery of wet concrete you're in trouble :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

True. I know of a guy who is loosing his hair and is the first to make a joke out of it and has no problem with receiving jokes about it either.

Another is extremely embarrassed & self conscious about it and would be mortified & deeply upset if the same things were said to him. It's often the case that it's not what you say, but who it's said to, what is meant by it and how it's said.

It's probably better to get to know someone first before making a joke about something that could be taken as a personal slur and to take note if a genuine joke is taken the wrong way.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Im not reading the whole thing, but this caught my eye, and shows just how clueless they are ;

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

As you can see Paul as you would have access to the ip details of anyone who posts here i would expect you will see i am presently posting from the USA, however tomorrow i might be in Egypt or France or even Morocco. You know who my provider is so you know that this is not my real IP. My point here is to demonstrate that if i was so inclined to post something wrong the police would not be able to find my details as the VPN provider does NOT keep the details of user IP's.

If you have a GOOD VPN then you could post what you want and they would find it almost impossible to trace you if they are behind a good VPN.

Note i don't post crap on the internet as it is not my way. However i use a vpn because i cannot stand the snooping that goes on.

The ISP's and i work for one so i have a good idea of how it works and you know what i do for them, are not allowed to read what's in the packets of your internet traffic if you are using HTTPS, this is why Phorm was never allowed to run there service over here as some classed it as a man in the middle attack. They will have my IP but any posts on forums or social media will record the IP give by the VPN .

for those that do not know who or what Phorm was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorm

TLDR

When you route your internet traffic through a VPN, your ISP is no longer able to track the specifics of your browsing. It only sees that you are exchanging packages with the VPN server. Think of it like using a neighbor to send your mail. Everything you send out is addressed to them. They send it on. The mail carrier only deals with the delivery to the neighbors. Then, when a package returns, the carrier takes it to a neighbor without knowing it will continue on to your door. With a VPN, your ISP has no clue if you’re visiting Facebook, a banking site, Netflix, your competitor’s sites, gaming sites, etc.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I guess using TOR is the same thing, re-routes the traffic

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Not sure, i was told that using TOR marks you as someone to watch. I might have gotten the wrong end of the stick over that however :)


I do know that there are more and more people deciding to use a vpn.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Yeah, I believe that TOR, due to it's 'reputation' is quite closely monitored by certain agencies looking for those using inroads to the naughty side of the internet, however I know quite a few people that use it as their default browser because of it's privacy/non tracking features . . which are probably now no better than some other mainstream browsers, or in fact a half decent free VPN.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

The best free VPN although limited to 10Gb/month. Choice of 10 countries and no records kept.

https://windscribe.com/features/use-for-free

Paid options here.

https://windscribe.com/upgrade

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Virginia, US to be more exact, I hope the weather is nice. :D :Sun:

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

The very worst person actually.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I disagree Russ. If someone makes a personal joke with no malicious intent, but the recipient finds it offensive, it's better for the person who made the remark to have it drawn to their intention (in a right manner) so that they know not to do it again. If they went on to do it again regardless, this would clearly show that the intent was in fact malicious.

This could have legal implications should this be aimed at someone in a 'protected group', though legislation is in force to also protect those who aren't as well.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

It needs to be by someone independent, objective and not emotionally involved. They are best places to decide whether or not a joke is “personal” and with malicious intent

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

What legislation protects someone from a joke?

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Ultimately, if it went that far, that's what would happen.

Most things are best dealt with informally though (in fact the courts expect this before people turn to them).

If someone is genuinely making a joke, they would be horrified to learn that they had caused offence and not do it again to the same person (I imagine that this has happened to almost everybody at some point).

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Never seemed to bother Bernard Manning . . in fact half the crowd probably went hoping he'd pick on them :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Yes very nice Flown over to Asia tonight ;)

My point which i think i have made is that a person with the minimum of knowledge can stop the police from finding where they are if they use a good VPN.

I will now return to using my real IP on this site as per the site rules

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

A solicitor once told me that successful prosecutions have arisen from remarks claimed to be humerous or sarcastic.

I think that the best thing to do is to err on the side of caution until you lnow someone well enough to know if they are likely to take what you're going to say as a joke or not.

It's also important to realise that what might genuinely be meant as a joke could really, really upset somebody. Also, when communicating in writing, the lack of facial expressions, body language, tone of voice etc can lead to misunderstandings.

---------- Post added at 19:36 ---------- Previous post was at 19:33 ----------

Exactly, there are some people who relish this form of humour. Not everybody does though, but I wouldn't expect that these people would have gone to see Bernard Manning anyway!

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

No, the people who didn't like his type of humour probably never went to see him, but it didn't stop them complaining about it.

No accounting for taste eh ;)

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Unfortunately, this country seems to have lost its sense of humour.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

And there are groups that will keep it that way.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

At least (up to now) YouTube still has lots of stuff on it that made - and still makes me - howl with laughter.

I've spent nearly 2 hours tonight watching some Bernard Manning, Mick Miller, Chubby Brown, and the few clips available of Charlie Williams.

I think tomorrow I'll go for Citizen Smith, It Aint Half Hot Mum, The Brittas Empire, and possibly one of the 'Bottom Live' tours.

I'm a very very naughty boy :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

You should watch "Till Death Us Do Part, or Love Thy Neighbour" :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

All in good time young man, perhaps with a dash of Hogans Heroes and Bilko for the American flavour?

I may have to make a viewing list . . this could take some time :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

No I think we have got a better sense of humour.

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

I think the sense of humour is still in there somewhere, however being in a multicultural and diverse country means the jokes need to be altered to suit. .


An Englishman Irishman Scotsman man woman Priest dwarf . . person of indiscriminate age, height, colour, religion, employment, and sexual identity walks into a bar
The barman barwoman landlord landlady . . person serving drinks (who is also a person of indiscriminate age, height, colour, religion, and sexual identity . . but is employed on a zero hours contract) . . then says to the customer . . .

It doesn't quite work does it :D

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

On the other, it’s no longer OK to openly mock and laugh at others just because they’re "different" (female, disabled, gay, religion, etc.), so swings/roundabouts… :)

Re: Police to get tough on internet trolls.
 

Is there such a thing as a good woke/pc joke :shrug: