Report wicked troll, ignore the stupid one

Hyderabad: Anonymous trolls are becoming a nuisance on Twitter. Individuals who use accounts to express personal opinions and views, post pictures, or take sides in debates – particularly politicians, party workers, celebrities and journalists,  who have large online following – often receive hate from unidentified Twitter handles that are hard to trace.  There are agencies dedicated to the creation of fake accounts which can be used to tarnish the reputation of a target. Complaints against such trolls are difficult to resolve unless the culprits leave online footprints such as a phone number, an email ID, or any other social connection. Cybercrime experts say that fake handles that are operated from outside India are impossible to trace. 

Superintendent of police (cyber crime) Ram Mohan explains, “Firstly, creating a fake ID is not a crime. A citizen has the right to register and operate an ID anonymously. Secondly, there is a difference between public debate and trolling. If a handle calls for views on a topic of public debate, responding to it is not a crime. However, the use of abusive language, obscene content, and the posting of pornographic content are crimes that fall under Sections 67 and 66 (D) of the IT Act, which attract prosecution. If someone cheats or blackmails individuals on social media through the use of a fake ID, then that is also a crime.”  

The officer adds that while most trolls try not to leave any footprints online, the cybercrime department is trained to track down such individuals, however time-consuming a task it may be.  Such trolls are considered the web’s darkest denizens whose intention is to create negativity. Hate messages are capable of provoking anger and causing psychological damage. Recently, actress Taapsee Pannu was battered by trolls on moral grounds for a picture she posted on Twitter. This is not an isolated incident. Local TV actress Anasuya Bharadwaj was trolled by hundreds of people following a complaint by a young fan whose phone was broken by her while trying to take a selfie. Overwhelmed by the hate, the actress was forced to deactivate her account.

Anurag Kambampati, the founder of the We Are Hyderabad Twitter handle says, “Hate speeches, trolls, and obscene content can directly be reported to Twitter. An individual can write to the social media company with a complaint regarding abusive content. The handles of many trolls have either been suspended or deactivated based on the intensity of the issue. In many instances, Twitter has also pulled down hate tweets.”

Umesh Thota, an expert in cybercrime, says, “Trolling with and without a cause has gained momentum because of its anonymous nature and its tendency to provoke a response. The easiest way to deal with trolls is to ignore them or to deal with them with humour. Usually, a troll’s momentum is diffused when people make it clear that they are unwilling to listen or respond.”