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

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


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:23AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:23AM (#512079)

    Emphasis by me:

    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

    Note the term "relevant". If you are using your private account to post stuff unrelated to your employer, then your employer is clearly not relevant to it (and I'm sure they couldn't find out anyway who is your employer unless you either yourself disclose it, or your employer happens to be the BBC to begin with), and according to that policy shouldn't be informed by the BBC.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 23 2017, @01:46AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 23 2017, @01:46AM (#513903)

    If that' s the case, why is the employer being mentioned at all? Why not just say relevant parties will be notified? Mentioning the employer seems to be a veiled threat.