Katie Price has won the backing of a parliamentary committee in her campaign to make spreading of online hate a specific crime
KATIE Price’s petition to make online abuse a specific criminal offence after her disabled son Harvey was targeted by trolls has won the backing of a parliamentary committee.
A report by the House of Commons Petitions Committee said self-regulation of social media has failed and current laws are not fit for purpose.
It added the Government and social media firms must directly consult with disabled people on digital strategy and hate crime law, and that social media firms need to accept responsibility for allowing "toxic environments to exist unchallenged".
The inquiry was launched after Price, 39, started a petition to make online abuse a specific criminal offence and create a register of offenders after highlighting the online abuse her son, Harvey, who is partially blind, autistic and has Prader-Willi syndrome.
The petition had attracted more than 220,000 signatures before being closed early due to the 2017 general election.
Our inquiry into online abuse and the experience of disabled people has shown that social media is rife with horrendous, degrading and dehumanising comments about people with disabilities
Committee chair Helen Jones MP
.
Committee chair Helen Jones MP said: "The law on online abuse is not fit for purpose and it is truly shameful that disabled people have been forced off social media while their abusers face no consequences.
"There is no excuse for the continued failure to make online platforms as safe for disabled people. Self-regulation has failed disabled people and the law must change to ensure more lives are not destroyed."
Katie Price told the committee in February last year her partially blind and autistic Harvey, 15, had been subject to “horrific” abuse online, but social media providers repeatedly failed to act.
Price told a Commons committee: “I went to the police, they were disgusted, they were so good. But then they rang me to say, ‘There’s nothing we can do’ as there’s nothing in place to charge these people.
“Since then the abuse is getting worse and worse.”
She added: “I’ve tried my own way of naming a shaming people online, I’ve done everything I can but nothing has he been done to stop it. There needs to be more security checks.”
She wants trolls prosecuted and a register naming them.
A petition launched by the ex-model attracted more than 220,000 signatures in a week.
She said she could protect Harvey but some kids may take their own life after one abusive message.
The 39-year-old said the online abusers would get in trouble for saying the things they message about Harvey if they said them to him in person – so why is it any different.
Adding that due to his size and disability trolls found her 15-year-old son “an easy target”, but vowed: “I’m his voice, I’m going to protect him.”
MPs had to act, warned Ms Price, who joked: “Otherwise I’ll be like Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’ll be back.”
Her mother Amy, who was also at Westminster with Harvey, said: “What makes us angry as a family is he can’t defend himself. If it was face to face they wouldn’t do it.”
And she said the cruel jibes have had an effect on Katie’s other children.
But Katie defiantly told the panel: “Like me or hate me I’m here to protect others.”
“It will all be worth it if I can create a new law.”
Number 10 hinted today that Theresa May could back new rules – after the Prime Minister's spokesman said that "broad action is taking place to address this issue".
Speaking earlier, before she gave evidence, she described how her son Harvey is singled out by bullies because he is mixed-race and seriously disabled.
She told Sky News: "It's a serious day for, I'm here to go in front of the select committee - I want to make online abuse a criminal offence.
"In one week, I got 220,000 signatures and a lot of those people admit they are not fans of mine.
"I've got five children and everyone seems to pick on one of them because of the colour of his skin, he's got complex disabilities.
"I got two people arrested by the police, they took it as far as they could and even they were embarrassed.
"There's so many people online who are committing suicide, all these things are happening, so we'll have to crack down on it quick."
One of the two trolls who got a police caution for bullying Harvey was only 19 - but Ms Price insisted that shouldn't stop him getting punished.
She said: "It doesn't matter what age you are - if you're old enough to get a computer and type, then you're old enough to know you're abusing people."
And urging MPs to unite behind the proposed new law, Katie added: "I think anyone who is going to be listening to what I have to say, if they don't agree with it then they have no heart, no soul, no morals.
"This should stop. Anyone can become or have a disability, anyone could be getting abuse.
"This is nothing to do with me whatsoever, it's for everyone getting abuse online."
No10 hinted Theresa May could back new laws, with a spokesman saying “broad action is taking place”.
The Government separately announced a new social media code setting out standards expected of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Firms must respond so the public can see how much abusive material is being removed. Campaigners said it was unclear if it was “statutory”.
