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- Not just words: in the Russian Federation, they proposed disconnecting from the Internet for cyberbullying
Not just words: in the Russian Federation, they proposed disconnecting from the Internet for cyberbullying
Russians responsible for bullying and stalking on social media may be banned from accessing the Internet. This issue was put up for discussion by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatiana Moskalkova. This measure should protect users from harassment and harassment on the Web. At the moment, there are several important issues related to the implementation of the initiative, experts point out. Even the very concept of "cyberbullying" is not defined in the legislation today. Is it really possible not to let the malefactors who staged the harassment on the Internet — in the Izvestia article.
Access is denied
It is necessary to return to the discussion of the introduction of penalties for cyberbullying and harassment. This was stated by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova. The punishment, in her opinion, should be quite harsh.
First of all, it is necessary to establish administrative responsibility for the commission of such offenses. Such actions can be considered as a qualified composition of minor hooliganism.
"It is also time to return to the discussion of the introduction of a new administrative penalty for individuals in the form of restrictions on access to the Internet or social networks," — emphasized by the Ombudsman in his report for 2024, available to TASS.
As a phenomenon, cyberbullying represents violence in the digital space. It mainly occurs on social networks, instant messengers, on gaming platforms and in mobile phone applications.
The purpose of such actions is to anger, offend, or disgrace the target of the harassment. This is often done with the help of false or compromising information posted on digital platforms. An example of such data is photos and videos of a sensitive or humiliating nature. Often, attackers act anonymously, which is why the victim does not even know who is the source of aggression.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of episodes of online harassment has increased significantly. Since 2023, for example, a significant increase in the number of cyberbullying cases has been recorded in the Russian segment of the Internet. Experts of the monitoring center "Security 2.0", in particular, выявили over 7 thousand high-profile episodes of online harassment. This turned out to be 15% higher than the figure recorded in 2022.
The issues of legal regulation of cyberbullying in Russia remain unresolved today. However, there are several articles of the law that can be used to bring the perpetrator to justice. First of all, an attacker can be punished for insults, slander and violation of privacy.
Of course, the initiator of cyberbullying will not get away with more serious crimes. He will be called to account in cases of sexual harassment, threats (especially if it is a question of murder or causing serious harm to health), incitement to hatred, hostility and humiliation of human dignity. A separate punishment is provided for driving to suicide.
Audio and video recordings, as well as notarized printouts of online correspondence, usually serve as evidence of an offense. To protect themselves from the aggressor, the victim can file a police report or file a lawsuit. However, judicial practice in cases related to cyberbullying in Russia is quite sparse, victims rarely try to solve their problems using the letter of the law. Most of the cases considered in the courts are related to suicide.
Recently, the digital platforms themselves, on which such actions are carried out, have been involved in the fight against cyberbullying and stalking. They regularly develop mechanisms to identify and prevent such cases. The issue of online harassment is acute in many countries around the world.
Guilty without guilt
First of all, children should be taught the ethical aspects of online communication, says Andrey Sidenko, head of Kaspersky Lab's online child safety department.
— After all, according to our research, only 43% of parents talk to their children about the ethics of communication on the Internet, — the expert points out.
Almost a third of the children in the company's survey said they had dealt with cyberbullying as a witness, victim, or participant.
— In most cases, parents noted that the children who faced bullying had serious negative consequences: decreased self—esteem and activity, isolation, deterioration of academic performance, severe stress, in some cases leading to depression," the Izvestia interlocutor clarifies.
Parents can sometimes underestimate the scale of the problem, and children do not always tell adults that they have encountered cyberbullying, Sidenko adds.
Online bullying is widespread among teenagers in many ways, confirms Olga Propubertat, a practicing family psychologist, Master of Psychology and Pedagogy.
— When you don't look a person in the eye, it's much easier to offend them. Now, moreover, active communication takes place in shared chats for several people, in which messages are often forwarded and screenshots are distributed, including those containing compromising information," the specialist explains.
Simple prohibitions on insults expressed by adults will not be effective. However, it is important that the conflict situation that has arisen is accompanied by explanations about why this is unacceptable. In this case, there is a chance that in the future the child will no longer do this, explains the interlocutor of Izvestia.
However, teenagers are not always the actors of cyberbullying, Sidenko recalls. A stranger of any age can start online harassment. For some adults, cyberbullying is becoming a fun pastime, the Pro-Puberty is sure. This is how haters and Internet trolls appear.
One should not assume that the victim herself somehow provoked the harassment, the psychologist emphasizes. It is a huge mistake to think that the person affected by it is someone special with specific features.
— Absolutely anyone can become a victim. On the Internet, this can even be caused by the user simply saying hello in a chat at the wrong time," the expert points out.
The problem of anonymity
Online harassment occurs quite often in the world, and given the huge number of people who surf the Internet, it must be combated, which is what the proposed measure is aimed at, emphasizes Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. In his opinion, the scenario of restricting Internet access for people engaged in cyberbullying or stalking is quite realistic.
— It will be very clear to whom the SIM cards and IP addresses are assigned.I don't see any problems with restricting access to the Network," the expert says.
However, there are still no serious guarantees of the effectiveness of such restrictions as a way to combat cyberbullying, says lawyer Igor Kim. Anonymity on the Internet is one of the intractable problems of applying legislative measures. You can always create another account or buy someone else's page, register a new SIM card, or log in from another device.
It is not very clear how an administrative offense will be classified, the lawyer clarifies. If we are talking about minor hooliganism, the amount of the penalty is unlikely to be able to stop someone from illegal actions.: The fine for this violation ranges from 500 to 1,000 rubles. Another punishment option is administrative arrest for up to 15 days, but it is also not very significant.
— Given the scale of the problem and the fact that it affects not only schoolchildren, these measures are clearly insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to increase fines in monetary terms, and take into account the age of the person who shoots," Kim is convinced.
In addition, Russian legislation currently does not contain the concept of "cyberbullying." This issue also needs to be addressed.
— There is no law directly devoted to online harassment today, but the offender can be brought to administrative or criminal responsibility under certain articles, the police accept such statements. However, there is a caveat, which is that you need to know the abuser personally," the expert adds.
It is difficult to say how and to whom the proposed measures will apply in the future, he notes.
— These aspects, as well as the effectiveness of the new rules, will show changes in legislation and judicial practice over time, — the lawyer summarizes.
It is clearly impossible to completely eliminate cyberbullying by restricting an attacker's access to the Internet. But it will definitely reduce online harassment, Denis Kuskov is sure.
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