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Cyber-Bullying Spree On Facebook - GOB Trying to Come Up With Laws
posted (February 24, 2017)
Belizean Cheaters - it's a Facebook group that has been overheating Belize's Social Media scene for the past week. The group traffics in little more than low-down gossip, revenge porn, and just plain old "bad mind" - but it's been garnering thousands of page views from those who delight in nothing more than "shoosh."

But now, it's garnering mainstream media attention because someone maliciously posted the picture of an 11 year old girl accusing her of having sexual relations with adult men. That crossed the line and the child's mother called Southside Police Commander Chester Williams who posted on social media that he will "deal with those responsible." But, deal with them how? Are there even laws on the books to prosecute those who engage in cyber-bullying? There aren't, and today the press asked the Attorney General Mike Peyrefitte and the Solicitor General Nigel Hawke about it:...

Nigel Hawke - Acting Solicitor General
"There is a committee set up, looking at the issue of cybercrime legislation, but it's at a stage where it's just a number of multispectral groups which have been discussing the issue with the view of coming up with a final policy position to take the cabinet for approval. At some stage there will be some cybercrime bill or some cyber security bill. That is the hope, but it is on horizon."

Reporter
"How long will it be before any such legislation is passed?"

Nigel Hawke - Acting Solicitor General
"It's difficult to say but, let's say probably another 2 or 3 months, you might be hearing something from us in terms... there is a proposal or policy going forward to the cabinet."

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney General
"We have to be fair, writing legislation and passing laws is not like buying a pound of rice, going into the shop, giving a dollar to get your rice. It doesn't work, that quickly, that instantaneous. We have to make sure that the laws that we write and propose for passing are comprehensive. For example, there's this cheaters thing that they have and their was a minor on that thing, who do we hold responsible for that? The parents, the person who took it? What if the minor herself, took the video and posted it? Who do we hold responsible? I spoke to the DPP yesterday about it and we are looking to see if we can amend, make a simple amendment to the criminal court for right now, to tackle minors being on Facebook or social media, but we are in Belize. If you are to prosecute everyone who had a bad thing to say about somebody else on Facebook, everyone would have been to jail or get sued because that's all social media is used for, bashing people, and outing people. We have to make sure that when crimes are being committed or things that are of such an indecent nature that it upsets us that we have find the laws to address. But it's not as easy as people think it is."

Nigel Hawke - Acting Solicitor General
"We know you have the new phenomenon fake news and that is an issue the law will also have to address because there are people out there just bent on making mischief."

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney General
"Who do you sue and who do you charge when they create an anonymous account, no picture, no address and so you have to include the people who are computer savvy. It would now include bringing in the owners of these different media houses such as Facebook and Snapchat. We have to maybe engage them for their help, because if you go and I find a site where somebody is libeling for example, we have to get to the actual person. How do we locate the server? So all of these things have to be contemplated when you are passing legislation."

Of course, the laws cannot come into place soon enough and the Cheaters group is now multiplying since there are now two copycat groups.

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