England: Internet users who incite harassment to face prosecution

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The internet’s not an anonymous place where people can post without any consequences. People should think about their own conduct.

“If you are grossly abusive to people, if you are bullying or harassing people online, then we will prosecute in the same way as if you did it offline.”

The new guidance could also lead to prosecution for those who create derogatory hashtags or post manipulated images to humiliate people.

However, Ms Saunders said there would be a “high test” for prosecution, as content posted online would have to be “grossly offensive”.

The CPS also said it would not prosecute instances of “sexting” between consenting teenagers if there was no coercion or exploitation.

Ms Saunders said: “If they are children, they are the same age, there’s no suggestion or any coercion or bad motives, then we would not expect that case to be prosecuted.

“It shows you how careful you have to be about the context of it.”