Let me talk to you about Charlottesville, trolling and the need for digital civility
A week after the terrible events in Charlottesville that led to the death of Heather Heyer, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) launched an initiative to crack down on hate speech online. Prior to the announcement, laws against hate speech did not cover social media and online communications.
At first glance, the evil act of a right-wing protester ploughing a car into a crowd and the CPS announcement seem disconnected in all ways except the presence of hate. But, on closer inspection, it is vital we see the part that aspects of social media are playing in these problems so that we can take steps to cultivate much-needed ‘digital civility’.
