A REVIEW of laws to tackle Twitter trolls who anonymously post abuse has been called for after radio host Ray Hadley and NRL star Robbie Farah became the latest high-profile cyber victims. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and Police Minister Mike Gallacher yesterday contacted their federal counterparts, urging them to look at ways to punish those who write defamatory and hurtful comments on the micro-blogging site.
Hadley, who has never used Twitter or Facebook, said as long as servers were operated offshore, governments were powerless to compel Twitter to hand over information.
One user alleged Hadley was violent towards women. Although the radio host made a complaint to police and instructed his lawyers, he has not been able to track down the person making the "criminally defamatory allegations".
"The government has to look at some form of regulation," he said yesterday.
"Who is looking after the interests of the teenagers or the average people who are being attacked?
"I have to be careful what I say on air - newspapers have to pay someone to moderate their websites so we don't end up in court. Next time I want to have a go at someone, I'll do it on Twitter, not on air. Evidently, if it's on Twitter, no one can touch me."
Wests Tigers captain Farah has also contacted police over anonymous comments about his mother, who died in June.
"Whilst I'm all for banter on Twitter and people expressing their opinions, this was personal about my late mother who I am still grieving about," he said, reading from a prepared statement yesterday.
"As a rugby league player ... I know I will get positive and negative messages and I need to be accountable for the way I respond. However, the tweet I received last night clearly crossed the line and was personal abuse of the worst possible kind. Not only to myself, but to my family."
Mr O'Farrell said trolls should not be able to hide.
"Whether it happens to a showbiz personality, a footballer, whether it happens to someone down the street, we need to send the strongest possible message that it's simply not acceptable," he said.
"We are seeking a review of existing Commonwealth legislation to see what, between the Commonwealth and the states, we can do to close any loopholes that exist."
Mr Gallacher said police were dealing with out-of-date legislation and people who weren't willing to go to the police: "The only way to make this completely unacceptable behaviour stop is to start getting some of these miscreants out from behind their monitors and in front of a judge - but that's very difficult when we're dealing with increasingly outdated Commonwealth legislation." TV host Charlotte Dawson, who was bombarded with abusive and threatening messages following her outing of a Twitter troll, threw her support behind Farah. "Don't be afraid to speak out. No matter who you are," she said.
The Foxtel presenter posted a link to a statement by the NRL favourite, pushing back against "vile" comments made about his late mother last night, with Dawson adding: "Don't be afraid to speak out. No matter who you are."
Dawson has largely kept away from the social media site after being bombarded with abusive and threatening messages following her outing of a Twitter troll, who was subsequently suspended from her university mentoring job.
The Australia's Next Top Model judge was hospitalised in the wake of the attack, but is now recovering at home.
Her decision to appear on
60 Minutes while she awaited further medical treatment has further polarised opinion about the TV star, who remains defiant about taking her stand to stop online bullying.
Twitter founder lives high life
While authorities grapple with how to stop trolls attacking fellow tweeters, the founder of the micro-blog site is sitting pretty in his clifftop pad.
High above San Francisco Bay and boasting stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the $10 million luxury house is the new plaything for tycoon Jack Dorsey, 35.
The house, in the city's Seacliff neighbourhood, only has two bedrooms - but the main attraction is a pyramid-shaped skylight, opening up the living room to the elements and one of the most famous views in the world.
Mr Dorsey founded Twitter in 2006 with business partners Biz Stone, Evan Williams and Noah Glass. He was Twitter's founding CEO and is its current executive chairman.
. As a rule, white people strongly prefer to get offended on behalf of other people.
