PETITIONOpenPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Make Online Defamation and Cyberbullying a specific offence
We ask the Government and Parliament to recognise online defamation, and cyberbullying as a specific offence, given that it can cause real psychological, social, and professional harm.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
67
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 67/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 67/100,000
Background
Online defamation and cyberbullying can destroy reputations, careers, and mental health. We feel that victims often have insufficient protection, while harmful posts can remain public for months. Freedom of expression should not mean freedom to harm. We want the government to create recognise these actions as specific offence(s), with provisions to ensure swifter removal of abusive content so that online spaces are safe and governed by respect and responsibility.