Arrested for malicious tweets

[Thundercrack85]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...acebook-comments-British-soldier-s-death.html

Granted, I don't know exactly what they said, but people are seriously getting arrested for tweets?

See, this is why it's nice for a country to have a constitution.

 

[Duran Man]

 

[Asteroid-Man]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...acebook-comments-British-soldier-s-death.html

Granted, I don't know exactly what they said, but people are seriously getting arrested for tweets?

See, this is why it's nice for a country to have a constitution.

You realise that the British have a constitution, right?

 

[The Question]

Also, I think in both the UK and the United States it's illegal to send threats to people. Obviously there's a legal grey area there but I'd think that's the reasoning.

 

[James]

See, this is why it's nice for a country to have a constitution.

Heh heh heh, yeah, because nothing like this would ever happen in the U.S

 

[ThePhantasm]

Uh, I've lived in both countries and I'm pretty sure you can't threaten someone in either one.

 

[Thundercrack85]

The UK has no constitution. There are a number of acts, and laws, that are said to make up a metaphorical "constitution", but there is no actual document. This is a common misconception. The UK also has no equivalent to the first amendment, still technically being a theocracy, and having rather strict laws governing public discourse (though I don't think they enforce lèse-majesté anymore).

Judging by the reaction, the tweets didn't threaten anyone specifically. They were however racist. You don't have to actually threaten anyone to be arrested in the UK. This isn't an isolated incident, but it is in the news.

Though perhaps they did, but that's not what's being reported. Just that they're offensive.

In other words, many American who tweeted something offensive after what happened in Boston could be arrested under this same law.

 

[zeroapoc]

The amount of things I've said online that would get me arrested in the UK is massive. It's not just threats, you can go to jail for being "offensive".

 

[uniqueweasel]

And not to mention racism only seems to work in one direction in the UK! But I guess thats a whole different debate.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

The amount of things I've said online that would get me arrested in the UK is massive. It's not just threats, you can go to jail for being "offensive".

You mean like this story:
Man arrested for singing 'Kung Fu Fighting'

 

[zeroapoc]

That one and many many others.

 

[Victarion]

Colossal Spoons and I would be in the slammer for being cheeky k*#$%, as would our other brahs on the Misc.

 

[Steelman777]

There is just no way!

 

[Ultimatehero]

I tweeted that I was going to take over the world, but I just got a pat on the back from my imaginary pal Froljo.

To be serious, maybe it was a death threat against a member high up in government? That usually has something costly behind it, or at least I thought so...

 

[Mike_D202]

Without reading the actual tweets I can't really comment, but if they were indeed threatening/malacious and the right people know who you are then you can be charged with malicious conduct. It's like piracy: people do it everyday but if your putting yourself on a stool for attention then they're gonna do something about it.