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BBC May Contact Your Boss if You Post Comments it Finds Problematic

posted by n1 on Friday May 19 2017, @02:14AM   Printer-friendly
from the stop-snitching dept.

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

There are all sorts of different ways that websites that allow comments have dealt with trollish behavior over the years, but I think the BBC's new policy is the first I've seen in which the organization threatens that it may contact your boss or your school (found via Frank Fisher).

The new policy has a short section on "offensive or inappropriate content on BBC websites" where it says the following:

Offensive or inappropriate content on BBC websites

If you post or send offensive, inappropriate or objectionable content anywhere on or to BBC websites or otherwise engage in any disruptive behaviour on any BBC service, the BBC may use your personal information to stop such behaviour.

Where the BBC reasonably believes that you are or may be in breach of any applicable laws (e.g. because content you have posted may be defamatory), the BBC may use your personal information to inform relevant third parties such as your employer, school email/internet provider or law enforcement agencies about the content and your behaviour.

To be fair, it does seem to limit this to cases where it believes you've violated the law, but even so, it seems like a stretch to argue that the BBC should be calling your boss to tell on you for being a [troll], even if you break the law.

Source: TechDirt

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Friday May 19 2017, @02:26AM (2 children)

    by bzipitidoo (4388) on Friday May 19 2017, @02:26AM (#511947) Journal

    What kind of surveillance and investigative powers do they have that they can figure out who you and your bosses are? Especially if you don't use your real name?

    Please don't tell the MAFIAA how you do--- oh, you are part of the MAFIAA.

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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday May 19 2017, @02:50AM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @02:50AM (#511966) Journal

    I sense some levity in your post, but the BBC is indeed married to the MAFIAA-like organizations of the world. I think we all realize that the US has no counterpart for the BBC. Maybe Netflix could become BBC-like, in time. But, Netflix doesn't control radio and television space, so probably not. We just don't have anything like the BBC.

  • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday May 19 2017, @03:24PM

    by tangomargarine (667) on Friday May 19 2017, @03:24PM (#512223)

    Doesn't every TV owner in Britain have to pay a BBC tax of some sort? I would guess they have a record of that they can use to cross-reference your IP address (since we all know an IP address = a person), and then go from there.

    --
    "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"