#StoptheTrolls ... Michael Clarke, Charlotte Dawson and Ben Barba have all signed up to tackle cyber bullying. Source: The Daily Telegraph
HATE-filled Twitter trolls who anonymously taunt, threaten or urge their victims to take their own lives are on notice from today.
Today we launch a campaign to stand up to the faceless bullies and to urge Twitter to unmask them and turn them in to authorities so they can be prosecuted.
#StopTheTrolls: Sign the petition here
Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan joined the #StoptheTrolls campaign even as a malicious and obscene tweet was sent to Julia Gillard over the death of her father John.
"This is a very worthwhile initiative by The Daily Telegraph that we fully support. Anonymous abuse and harassment can have devastating consequences," Mr Swan said.
"Some of the abuse that gets thrown at people on the internet makes me sick to the stomach. It takes a particular type of gutlessness to fire off the sort of anonymous abuse we've seen recently."
Kevin Rudd has 1.2 million followers - more than any other federal MP - and he last night committed to the campaign from China with the declaration: "The time has come for us to build a bridge over the trolls."
Attorney-General Nicola Roxon is also behind the campaign: "Cyber bullying is reprehensible and has no place in our society.
"What we need is strong co-operation from governments, law enforcement and the community. But we also need the assistance of US-based social networks."
And it's not just politicians who have given their support for the campaign, with a host of celebrities from the world of sport and entertainment also taking a stand, including NRL superstar Ben Barba, AFL convert Israel Folau and Australian cricket captain� Michael Clarke, who boasts more than 285,000 Twitter followers.
"Twitter is a great forum to interact with fans from all over the world but that doesn't mean anyone has to be subjected to abuse," Clarke said.
Police have confirmed they have limited ability to seek the identities or IP addresses of anonymous abusers from the US-based Twitter, which has fought subpoenas in America when asked for information about users.
It is allowing anonymous trolls to break the law and abuse their victims without fear of being prosecuted by Australian authorities.
NRL star Robbie Farah lashed out at Twitter trolls this week and called on Ms Gillard to act after his late mother was the topic of offensive tweets.
Ms Gillard's office contacted the West Tigers captain on Monday, with the Prime Minister off work mourning the death of her father.
However, Farah's outspoken approach saw him become the target of more online abuse and obscene tweets yesterday.
Still recovering from being hospitalised following a vicious campaign against her on the social networking site, TV star Charlotte Dawson has given her support.
Dawson has written an open letter to the social media community to support the bullied and out the bullies.
She said the cyber world was "part of society and should be subject to the same rules and laws," where those who vilify, harass or intimidate others must be named and held to account.
"If someone uses Twitter to encourage someone to suicide, to intentionally harass and intimidate people, THAT. IS. NOT. OKAY," Dawson wrote.
Broadcaster Ray Hadley has been the victim of trolls but while he was speaking out against abusers on his 2GB show yesterday, Parliamentary Secretary Mike Kelly took to Twitter to attack him.
"An airwaves troll trolling the digital trollers. We've come full circle," the Labor MP wrote.
Hadley fired back: "If Mr Kelly has got time to tweet as often as he appears to, the PM needs to give him more to do."
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, who also joined the #StoptheTrolls campaign yesterday, said Twitter should respond to requests to provide information on the identities of anonymous trolls.
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