The trouble with defining the limits of free speech online

Controversial behaviour on social media sites, some of which have resulted in users being arrested for their ‘offensive’ posts on Twitter, have sparked debates about the applicability of free speech laws to the online environment. Following a statement released by the Crown Prosecution Service, Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC, in an interview with the BBC on 20 September, espoused a high threshold for prosecution, recognising the importance of transparent guidelines for prosecutors but also stressing the need to assess cases individually and in their own context, paying close attention to what was said, who it was said to, how many people heard it and what the intention of the message was.