DPP says rude, shocking tweets shouldn't be prosecuted

New social media guidelines urge freedom of speech, but damaging 'trolls' may still end up in court

Man with laptop
The US government can collect the content of email, texts and other electronic communication without a warrant
(Image credit: Getty images)

OFFENSIVE, shocking or rude comments posted on Twitter or Facebook shouldn't land people in court, new social media guidelines say.

As social media becomes an increasingly fraught battleground between what's appropriate and what's not, Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, stepped in yesterday with a new set of legal guidelines.

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