Malicious Communications
The act was introduced in response to growing concerns about the rise of online harassment and abuse, and was designed to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to prosecute those who engage in such behaviour.
In recent years, there has been growing concern about the use of social media and other online platforms to harass and abuse others.
Someone is threatening me on social media? What can I do?
If a person sends you threatening, abusive or offensive messages via Facebook, X.com or any other social networking site, they could be committing an offence.
For harassment to be committed, there must have been a clear 'course of conduct'. That is, two or more related occurrences. The messages do not necessarily have to be violent in nature, but would need to have caused some alarm or distress.
If there has only been a single communication, it's unlikely it would qualify as harassment, but could be considered a malicious communication. For such an offence to be committed, a message must be sent to another person, or sent via a public communications network, that is indecent, grossly offensive, obscene, threatening or menacing.
Use the following advice
- Take screenshots or recordings of the communications as evidence.
- Block the sender from all your accounts and devices.
- Report the sender to Merseyside Police
- If you receive threatening or abusive messages via social networking sites, report to the police or complete an incident report.
- If you receive suspicious phone calls, hang up, call the company they claim to be from, and report the scam call to Action Fraud.
- Ask the offender to stop and do not communicate further.
- Keep copies of conversations and report any threatening, offensive, or indecent content to the host website/platform.
For more information please visit the Merseyside Police website, Protection from online stalking and harassment | Merseyside Police
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