Hate Crimes Online: UK To Prosecute Internet, Real-Life Offenses Equally
Prosecutors in the United Kingdom are being encouraged to treat online hate crime with the same severity of hate crimes that are committed in person, according to a new policy published Monday.
The advisory message came from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the agency in charge of conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. Advocates for free speech have raised concerns the new policy may stifle freedom of expression online.