Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the establishment of cyber-abuse and internet trolling research, either independent of, or in concert with, existing government statistical research agencies, to generate statistical research and clarify issues, with a view to reducing and eliminating internet trolling activity.

Research is already being carried out into abusive behaviour online. The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) established a Research Working Group in 2010 which has undertaken to collate research on all aspects of internet safety affecting children, including trolling. UKCCIS has also presented reports, such as “Good practice guidance for the providers of social networking and other user-interactive services” which looks at the issue of online bullying. This guidance is currently under review.

In addition, Ofcom is very active in researching online abuse. It publishes the “Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report” on an annual basis. This looks at how children deal with online dangers and how best to improve resilience to online dangers, such as trolling. Earlier this month, it published the “Report on Internet safety measures - Strategies of parental protection for children online” which examines the online safety measures available and how they are used by children.

At present, there are no plans for further statistical research into this behaviour between adults who are trolls. For those whose online postings are grossly offensive, obscene, indecent or false, it remains the case that what is illegal offline is illegal online. The House of Lords Communications Select Committee stated in their report into Social Media and Criminal Offences that the criminal law in this area, almost entirely enacted before the invention of social media, is generally appropriate for the prosecution of offences committed using social media.