Internet trolls who create derogatory hashtags or doctored images to humiliate others could face prosecution in England and Wales.
Inciting people to harass others online, known as virtual mobbing, could also result in court action, under new Crown Prosecution Service guidance.
The director of public prosecutions said it means the CPS would prosecute just as if offences occurred offline.
When tragedy strikes, it has become commonplace to see witnesses capturing the scene on their smartphones. But a growing number of people are licensing those clips, and turning a profit from gruesome or tragic events. BBC Trending has taken a closer look at the industry that makes it possible.
The rise of social media (BBC resource)
As social networks become more sophisticated, and can better simulate real-life, are we mistaking the convenience of social media for something more profound? As people announce they are “taking a break” from obsessively documenting their lives, let’s explore why to some, social media feels fake.
A majority of parents in the UK believe social media harms their children's moral development, a survey has suggested.
Just over half (55%) of 1,700 people with children aged 11 to 17 strongly agreed that social media hinders or undermines moral development.
The poll was part of a project by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at Birmingham University.
'The new site collects every website you’ve been on, everything you’ve searched and many of the things you’ve done with your phone'
With one in seven people around the world using the Facebook-owned messaging app, what opportunities does it present for reporters in terms of finding stories, as well as distributing them?
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