(LibertySociety.com) – According to a report by The Daily Telegraph, children in the UK are being told their old tweets and other social media activity could cost them their careers later. The warnings came after it was discovered police have been keeping records of kids’ comments that are considered “non-crime hate incidents.” These are remarks that don’t fit the standards of a crime, but that someone might think are motivated by hate. Conservative MP Sir John Hayes called it a “disturbing trend.” Other politicians are demanding a change to the rules.
London Assembly Member Peter Whittle recently confronted a police chief over the practice.
Although there are no reports of the police recording people’s social media activity in the US, there are plenty of cases coming back to haunt people. A star of MTV’s “Siesta Key” was fired in 2020 for old comments on Instagram that some people deemed racist. Star of “The Mandalorian,” Gina Carano, was fired for her tweets. Rosanne Barr lost her iconic television show over her tweets, and the list goes on.
Taking comments people made in the past, especially if they were kids at the time, and using those remarks against them is disturbing. It doesn’t allow people to learn or grow. And — some might argue it’s even a violation of free speech if it happens in the US. As for what’s happening in the UK, hopefully the government reevaluates how it’s treating its citizens.
Copyright 2021, LibertySociety.com
