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Shield for Internet trolls – shield design 4.0 provides for penalties for interference with remote communication

Virus COVID-19 He forced the accelerated digitisation of many areas of human life activity and although digitalisation brings many positives, the appearance of the pandemic puts in full light the problems that remain so far only in the corners of reality, and among them also so-called online trolling.

Virus COVID-19 He forced the accelerated digitisation of many areas of human life activity and although digitalisation brings many positives, the appearance of the pandemic puts in full light the problems that remain so far only in the corners of reality, and among them also so-called online trolling.

Virus COVID-19 He forced the accelerated digitisation of many areas of human life activity and although digitalisation brings many positives, the appearance of the pandemic puts in full light the problems that remain so far only in the corners of reality, and among them also so-called online trolling.

As recent weeks have shown, online chat, videoconferencing, transmissions or remote forms of teaching and on-line education are becoming increasingly common. Especially vulnerable to harmful behaviour are the already mentioned forms of remote teaching, to which the so-called “curriculum for lessons” are conducted, that is, situations where users (also often outside the group of students or listeners) log in to a meeting or lesson disrupt their course.

The Internet trolls or so-called "patostreamers" do not take in the means of their rich arsenal, among which the stream of vulgar words or the constant emission of jamming sounds are only a small caliber weapon

The Internet trolls or so-called "patostreamers" do not take in the means of their rich arsenal, among which the stream of vulgar words or the constant emission of jamming sounds of the conductor are only a small caliber weapon.

New legislative solutions provide for a crisis shield in this area 4.0, and to be precise, the government's draft law on interest rate subsidies on bank loans granted to provide financial liquidity to entrepreneurs affected by the effects COVID-19 and on the amendment of certain other laws – printing no. 382, which after first reading at a meeting in the Sejm on 27 May 2020 was addressed to the Public Finance Commission.

Fine in a troll

The design of the shield predicts that the Code of Offences will be added Article 107a, which Under section 1 provides that those who are not entitled to do so, including in the live data transmission of the information system, thwart or impede the transmission of information to the user, shall be subject to a penalty of restriction of freedom or fine of no less than 1,000 PLN.

In the opinion of the project authors, such solutions are necessary because the behaviour indicated in the project not only distorts the correct transmission, often delaying or ending it, but also, in the case of "intrusions" combined with the presentation of offensive, obscene, uncensored or discriminatory content, distorts the social order and corrupts minors of transmission participants.

If they're not fined, they're arrested.

The proposed rules also provide for a more stringent form of criminal responsibility. As planned Article 107a(2) the code of offenses, the penalty will be exacerbated if the offender uses words which are commonly considered abusive or otherwise committed in an immoral manner.

In that case, the Code of Offence provides not only for less aggravating penalties for perpetrators, but for fines (not less than 3,000 PLN) Or the penalty of restrictions on freedom, but even detention.

Author: Michał Skwarek - Council applicant in the legal department Russell Bedford Poland. Graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw.

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