Call for social media ban on anonymity

SOCIAL media users should not be allowed to post from anonymous accounts, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has said, amid concern the practice is allowing people to abuse others online with little prospect of being identified and prosecuted.

Dame Vera Baird QC said tech giants such as Twitter and Facebook should not allow people to sign up without providing accurate identifiable information.

It comes as celebrities such as England footballer and poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford and former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson were among those to have been abused repeatedly on social media in recent months.

Dame Vera said: “I think that getting rid of anonymity is fundamental to being able to enforce the law quite obviously.

“People sit at home with a funny name and say the most horrible thing, having quite a lot of pleasure because they can’t be found – that must be the point of it, mustn’t it, to do it without any comeback.

“It’s very unpleasant indeed and it’s imperative they be brought to justice.”

Last week, Twitter said it would not end the practice of allowing people to post from anonymous accounts.