Potential Consequences for Online Disruptors: Implications for Those Who Engage in Trolling Behavior and Seek Compensation
In the digital age, internet trolls have become a persistent problem, using provocations, insults, and defamatory statements to disrupt online discourse and cause harm. However, there is a potential solution for victims seeking justice: civil legal action.
Courts have the power to grant immaterial damages or compensation to victims of internet trolls who cause damage to reputation, business, or psychological distress. The severity of the case will determine whether damages or injunctions are sought.
Konstantin Peveling, a social media expert at the IT industry association Bitkom, explained this possibility. He noted that civil legal action could be a viable response to internet trolls who engage in such behaviour.
However, the perpetrators behind trolls are often difficult to trace due to their anonymous nature or the use of bots. This makes it challenging for victims to seek justice. But if the actor behind the troll can be identified, victims may be able to seek compensation or damages.
Philipp Kühn, a Cologne lawyer, emphasised the importance of proving harm in court for victims to receive compensation. Victims must provide detailed and credible evidence of business damage or psychological distress caused by the troll's actions.
Platform operators can also play a role in combating internet trolls. They can block problematic users at the request of victims and delete repeated posts by a troll containing insulting or defamatory statements.
Victims can also file a complaint against internet trolls who make defamatory statements. If successful, the court may grant immaterial damages or compensation to the victim. The amounts of compensation granted by courts are often in the lower four-digit range.
In conclusion, while internet trolls can be difficult to trace and combat, victims of online harassment have options. Civil legal action is a potential response to internet trolls who cause damage to reputation, business, or psychological distress. With detailed and credible evidence, victims can seek justice and receive compensation for the harm caused.
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