Netsafe condemns online abuse of public figures

Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker says people with public profiles are more likely to be at the receiving end of online abuse and harassment. Photo/File

Netsafe says public figures are more likely to be at the receiving end of online abuse, but cautions that doesn't make it acceptable.

This comes after Napier Mayor Bill Dalton quit Facebook due to a barrage of abusive comments directed not only at him but other members of his family, including his wife.

The Mayor isn't the first high-profile person to call it quits on social media platforms as a direct result of online abuse, and Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker says there's no rationale that public figures should tolerate it.

"If you're in the public space as a politician, social commentator or a spokesperson for an organisation you're going to expect to get lots of feedback but there's a line between feedback and abuse."

New Zealand had a culture of online abuse with one in three adults having reported they received unwanted, abusive and harassing communication in the past year, he said.

"It's a very common experience to get some amount of it. Why they get it is a massive question but there is a drive towards encouraging people to express their views. People take that expression of their views a step too far often."

The line between a platform for opinion and a platform for abuse on social media has become ever-increasingly blurred and given rise to the role of moderators who monitor content on online pages - sometimes for hours a day.

Marvin Jones, one of several moderators for community Facebook page Napier News, said he tried to allow as much free speech on the forum as possible.

"We delete obvious threats and bullying, and take special notice if they're 'reported' by a member (which is actually quite rare) but most of the time we figure we're all adults here and should be able to look after ourselves."

Jones said while high profile figures like Dalton would always attract online scrutiny, it came with the territory and the Napier News moderators did their best to apply an even hand.

"At the end of the day, Napier News relies solely on the judgement of the admins who try hard to filter as little as possible while maintaining order for the majority.

"People continually post all manner of off-topic subjects and 'rubbish'. We think Napier News is the best Hawke's Bay group on Facebook, and more often than not, that's as much a result of what you don't see on it, as opposed to what you do."

People can be prosecuted for online abuse through the Harmful Digital Communications Act, introduced in 2015.

Abuse can be categorised as an offence if it meets three criteria: that it is aimed at an individual, breaches Communication Principles and harms the person it is aimed at.

Yesterday Dalton said he had no interest in pursuing the matter and did not wish to comment further.

"Often the problem for high-profile people is that they are fairly robust characters because they are used to getting direct feedback so they don't feel the harm," Cocker said.

While the chief executive's preference would have been for the Mayor to access the processes available to him rather than exiting Facebook, he understood the action taken.

"I totally understand why people who are being abused and harassed online walk away from platforms. It is a horrible experience no matter who you are and I completely understand why people just walk away from them."

If you or someone you know needs help with online abuse you can contact Netsafe by calling them toll free on 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723) or visiting their website www.netsafe.org.nz.

If you're concerned about the immediate safety of you or someone else call 111.