Combating online harassment

Came across with this piece relevant to our discussion on online harassment today:

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/116590-online-harassment-is-a-serious-problem.html

Based on this article, it seems that government intervention may not be a good solution to this problem. The author states that many states (in the US) already have laws that apply to some forms of online harassment, however enforcement is usually ineffective. Without a clear understanding of the digital world, strong regulations likely will violate people’s privacy and the principle of free speech. Better ways to combat online harassment may not involve the government, ex.:

(1) encouraging people to speak out against harassment (this probably requires stronger protection of online anonymity), &

(2) providing tools to empower users to act for themselves (requires companies that offer the social platforms to create these features).

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