Candidates the target of ‘systematic’ online abuse
MICHAEL SHEEHAN ALERTS GARDAI OVER ABUSE THAT ‘CROSSED THE LINE’
Online abuse aimed at candidates during the General Election campaign has been reported to the gardaí.
Wexford County Council chairman, Cllr Michael Sheehan said he, for one, has reported personal abuse directed at him on social media to gardaí in New Ross. ‘If I was a young person, a teenager, someone, anyone in a vulnerable state of mind, I can see how online abuse can drive someone to self harm or more. If you are in anyway fragile or going through some sort of episode, or had something happen in their lives and all of this storm comes on top of them, I would question if they would be able to endure it.’
He said trolls are engaging in campaigns against politicians and other public figures because they are able to get away with it.
‘People can see it as having banter but over the course of the General Election campaign I thought there was a sinister and menacing element after creeping into all of it. I certainly felt I was being targeted because I was a Fianna Fáil candidate. I understand other candidates for the party from across the country were also getting the same treatment. There was an element that was systematic and organised.’
He said some comments crossed the line, adding that his personal space was invaded.
‘ The gardaí are looking into this. Some of the stuff that was put up on Facebook and about the campaign went beyond the rational and normal.’
Images of a planning permission notice outside his home were posted on Facebook, along with details of where he shops.
‘ The contents of my wheelie bin were went through and where I shop was highlighted. A photo of me with someone else was photo-shopped. Some people might find that funny and most of the time I would laugh it off, but when it goes into a menacing territory in a close knit community, in a place like
New Ross where I have family this can spill over.’
Cllr Sheehan said he can understand how many people who would love to be a politician decide against the career because of the abuse politicians get online.
‘Paul Kehoe took an inordinate amount of personal abuse.’
He called for the maximum offence under the Non Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act to be doubled from five to ten years, adding that he will be calling on the next minister within the county to highlight the issue once a Government is formed.
‘It’s very disturbing when this sort of nonsense is going on and people are believing it. Local and national political representatives need to stand up and say this is crossing the line. People can’t be banned from smartphones as they will come up with a false account, but quicker measures are needed where accounts can be shut down. Social media companies need to act swifter and face punishment from the authorities who are doing a very good job. Some of the abuse I had to endure is now sitting with the gardaí to decide on whether or not to bring charges and to see if I want to prosecute the person. People think they can say what they want but they damn well can’t! They may not realise it but they are publishing by making comments on social media. I got a thick neck having been in this game for 20 years, but people are not able to understand the velocity of it. People are nasty. A lot of political abuse we get comes from a particularly brand of politics, people of a certain political persuasion.’
Cllr Sheehan, who works as teacher, is urging students to stay off social media. ‘It’s not longer a safe place. It’s too open and too unregulated. It’s not a positive environment. You put stuff up and people just go nuts for no reason.’
Describing the General Election campaign as very dirty, he said at least one investigation is under way within a political party over alleged behaviour on the hustings. Malcolm Byrne said: ‘I’m used to it at this stage. It has become pointless trying to engage in political discussions with some people on social media - they prefer to be abusive than look for solutions. The irony is that you’d often see someone who engaged in a stream of invective attacks would follow it up with a post on positive mental health and being kind!! There is a challenge around digital literacy. Stuff is posted and shared on Facebook and other platforms that is false or out of context, and many don’t interrogate it. The quality of our political debate is also debased as poorly informed argument is given greater credence than it should be.’
Cllr Jim Moore said keyboard cowards are behind the attacks. ‘It doesn’t matter what walk of life you are in, I would call them keyboard cowards, not warriors. It seems to have become a pastime for anyone with an axe to grind. We are normalising this behaviour in society but it’s not normal; it’s abuse.’
Cllr Moore said people are posting defamatory remarks about individuals they have never even met. ‘High level insults are being levied at people and nobody seems to have any problem not challenging them. I don’t respond to anyone on Facebook, Pick up the phone and call me if you have an issue.’
Cllr Moore said people need to take more responsibility for what they say and more regulation of social media platforms like Facebook are required.
Referencing the recent death of Love Island presenter Caroline Flack, he said: ‘I would extend that to the red top tabloids. There is a danger here that people are relying on regulations for everything. Why should we rely on regulations for being respectful?’
He said gardaí have a bigger responsibility than ever before to address the problem. ‘ They are equipped with far more legislation and equipment. People who fall victim to this should keep in mind that they have the opportunity to go to the guards. This is the world we’re living in and this is a new phenomenon we are trying to deal with here. The difference now is who the people who get attacked turn to. A lot of the time it is people who are friends with them on Facebook aren’t their friends at all. People need to defriend some of these people to protect themselves and their families.’
Gardaí have urged victims of online bullying to save the posts so that they can be used in a prosecution before a judge. Cllr Moore said individuals posting to comment sections can be easily identified as in most cases their face is visible beside the post and their name is also visible on the screen.
Cllr Moore said it comes back to a person’s personal code of conduct. ‘People are entitled to make a fair comment and social media has its uses, including if there is an accident on a road or a weather event. I met councillors from around the country recently and one council decided to have a month where no member would engage with any social media that was negative and it proved very effective. I think everyone in public life and in voluntary life needs to be aware of the dangers of this.’
I WOULD CALL THEM KEYBOARD COWARDS. IT SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME A PASTIME FOR ANYONE WITH AN AXE TO GRIND.