We’re all too familiar with online harassment around here—a few of our editors even passed on writing this very story because doing such a thing generally makes them targets—as it tends to disproportionately affect women, but the U.S. House of Representatives is finally giving the Department of Justice a kick in the ass to do something about it in instructions attached to their latest funding bill.
The bill itself is a fairly standard appropriations bill for the DOJ, but Representative Katherine Clark petitioned the House to include in the instructions that would go along with it to the DOJ that the department should “intensify its efforts to combat” online harassment. She’s succeeded, and the instructions in the appropriations report now include (via Clark’s website):
Enforcement of Federal cyber-stalking and threat crimes.—The Committee is aware of concerns regarding increased instances of severe harassment, stalking, and threats transmitted in interstate commerce in violation of Federal law. These targeted attacks against Internet users, particularly women, have resulted in the release of personal information, forced individuals to flee their homes, has had a chilling effect on free expression, and are limiting access to economic opportunity. The Committee strongly urges the Department to intensify its efforts to combat this destructive abuse and expects to see increased investigations and prosecutions of these crimes.
This is great news for anyone who doesn’t think women should have to accept harassment as a fact of living in the modern world—and I so wish that were just “everyone,” but sadly, it isn’t. We’ve recently covered how difficult it can be to actually get things done about harassment and threats due to the nature of the Internet, even though they’re categorically illegal, so hopefully the DOJ will listen, get more involved, and help speed up the process of fighting the hordes of trolls.
Too many women have had their lives upended by the severe threats and harassment they have received online, and they often feel they have nowhere to turn for help. These threats cause fear for personal safety, create a chilling effect on free speech, and have a negative economic impact for women conducting business online. That is why we’re asking the Department of Justice to enforce laws that are already on the books, and make these cases a priority.
Damn right. Maybe GamerGate really will be all about ethics in game journalism when all the harassers are in JAIL. Your actions have consequences, everyone.
(via Salon, image via Brian A. Jackson on Shutterstock)
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