Online Harassment: Platforms or Individuals Responsible?

Stance

Individuals should bear primary responsibility, not platforms.

• Jurisdiction: UK focus (OFCOM/Online Safety Act 2023) + comparative US/EU insights.
• Word target: 750.

Definitions

• Online harassment/bullying: Persistent or severe misuse of digital communication causing harm (psychological, reputational, or physical), ranging from trolling and doxxing to sustained cyberstalking.
• Platforms: Private companies (e.g., Twitter/X, Meta) hosting user content, acting as intermediaries rather than originators.
• Responsibility: Legal, moral, or regulatory accountability for harmful content.

Assumptions Under Challenge

1. That platforms can feasibly monitor, detect, and regulate billions of daily interactions without undermining free expression.
2. That individual wrongdoers cannot be effectively deterred without imposing platform-level duties.
3. That harm caused by online harassment is fundamentally different from offline harassment, justifying shifting liability away from individuals.