What is cyberstalking and online hate crime?
Learn about cyberstalking and online hate crime, and what you can do if you're a victim.
What is cyberstalking?
Cyberstalking is the repeated and persistent use of digital communication to scare or harass a person. It can take place over email, text or through social media. This can include repeated malicious communications, attempts at public humiliation, false accusations, or the hacking of an individual’s online accounts. Here are some examples of cyberstalking and cyber harassment:
Finding someone’s private or personal details and using these to scare the person.
Repeatedly texting or messaging a person an unacceptable number of times a day.
Using a person's social media accounts to track their location and show up uninvited.
Repeatedly posting about a person without their permission, especially when trying to damage their reputation.
What is online hate crime?
Online hate speech is a form of cyberbullying that stirs up hatred, discrimination or violence against a person or group because of a protected characteristic, such as gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. It covers any form of digital communication, including written social media posts, images and memes, videos and even music. In cases that are serious enough, online hate speech can break the law, in which case it becomes online hate crime.
How to deal with cyberstalking and online hate crime
If you feel you have been a victim of cyberstalking or online hate crime, there are a number of actions you can take. If you or someone else is in immediate danger - Call 999
If you are a victim of stalking or harassment online, you can report it to your local police* if it’s not an emergency.
Incidents of online hate crime can be reported to the police online* through True Vision*. You can find lots of useful information on their website too.
You can also report incidents of cyberstalking and hate crime over phone by dialling 101.
If you have experienced hate speech or harassment on social media, then you can report it to the platform’s moderator. If a person is found to have broken the rules, they could have their account suspended or even be banned permanently. You can find details on how to do this on the social media provider’s support site.
*These link to external sites are provided as a courtesy. We are not responsible for the content of these sites nor any problems encountered when following their guidance.
The following pages provide support to victims of cyberstalking and advice on how to avoid it.
National Stalking Helpline (or call 0808 802 0300)
*These link to external sites are provided as a courtesy. We are not responsible for the content of these sites nor any problems encountered when following their guidance.
If you have been a victim of online hate crime and would like support, you can visit the following sites.
*These link to external sites are provided as a courtesy. We are not responsible for the content of these sites nor any problems encountered when following their guidance.
You can find online safety tips by visiting the Virgin Media Blog.
If you have any concerns regarding your online security, visit the Virgin Media Security Hub for help and support.
Virgin Media supports Internet Matters, a not-for-profit organisation that works with online safety experts to provide help and support for staying safe online.