Rules & Regulations of the Internet
By Sarah Holliday
What age?
Unknown to many childern, the age that you take responsibilty for your actions is 10. Once you reach this age you can get prosecuted in court and may get punished. I think this is a good age because childern are mature enough to have learnt the right and wrongs and not commit the crimes.
Cyberbullying
Many people don't know that cyberbulling is illegal. Anyone bullying another can be prosecuted under the Malicious Communications Act 1988. As we have already know you take responsiblity for your actions at age 10, so you can be prosecuted for cyberbullying at 10. Cyberbullying drives many young people to suicide so it is very good there is a law to protect them as it is difficult to get away from the bullying beacuse it is on technology which if it is your phone, could be always with you. Cyberbullying can also be seen as a type of harrasment.
Law on Harrasment
Harrrasing someone based on their ethnicity, race or sexuality is breaking the Protection from Harassment law from 1997. They can then be prosecuted from the age of 10. I think this is fair because it is not right to treat someone badly because of these things and people should be able to get defence instead of suffering in silence.
Underage
If you are under 16 it is illegal to have sex. Anyone who is above 16 and is having sex with someone below 16 can be put on the sex offenders list and can get a criminal record. The same thing can happen if you are both below 16. I think this is a just law because it is there to protect childern from getting hurt.
Under 16
So we know you cannot have sex under 16, but what if you are pressurized? If someone is sexually touching or asking someone under 16 to perform an act this is against the law and the person can be prosecuted because of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The law seems fair as it is there to protect young adults and stop these things happening.
What happens if your under 13?
As we already know, you cannot have sex if you are under 16. If someone is acting in a sexual way to a under 13 then this breaks the sexual offenders act 2003. They have no defence in court and can be proscuted. This is a fair law because it protects lots of childern who may otherwise be attacked.
Sexting
If you send a sexual photo of yourself or someone else it is against the law and the person who has that picture on their phone is in possesion of an indecent image of a child. If the people involved are under 18, whether or not they are in a relationship, they can be prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. This law is there to protect people. Pictures can easily spread and you cannot trust everyone. It can also effect your future as if you applied for a job and they googled your name, the picture that you thought only your boyfriend would ever see has now been see by your interviews.