If you feel threatened by online abuse then you should notify police. You should also notify your colleagues and the relevant social media platform.
It is crucial that you take steps to protect yourself by calling on colleagues, for example, to help with any of these steps. In terms of ensuring you have sufficient evidence of any online abuse, you will need to take steps such as screenshotting the posts or direct messages in question.
You should also take screenshots of the home page of that particular account to prove, for example, that it was publicly accessible at the time any abusive material was posted. This is a necessary precaution in case the account is locked down or even deactivated or deleted at a later date.
It is important to add here that if you believe that you - or someone you know - is in immediate danger then you should contact police on 999.
Non-emergency situations, which do not require an immediate police response, should be reported by dialling 101.
Further guidance on when you should contact police is included here: https://reportharmfulcontent.com/when-should-you-go-to-the-police/.
For more information on stalking and harassment, visit https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/sh/stalking-harassment/what-is-stalking-harassment/.
For more information on online harm and how to report it visit https://reportharmfulcontent.com/.
Impact on mental health
If online abuse if impacting your mental health then it is crucial that you take a break. You also have the option of deleting a social media account.
Some social media platforms allow you to temporarily deactivate accounts.
General guidance on staying safe online
We would advise doing an online check by putting your name into a search engine and seeing what comes up.
You can check if your email has been involved in a data breach by visiting https://haveibeenpwned.com/.
Beware of phishing emails which can appear, at first glance, to be from official organisations. Alternatively, you may get emails which appear to be from a constituent, with an urgent sounding request to open malicious links. Phishing emails are designed to enable the sender to install malware, which is malicious software used to steal personal data or money.
The check a website service can be used to check if a website is genuine. It has been set up by the government-supported Get Safe Online site in partnership with the Cifas fraud prevention service.
https://www.getsafeonline.org/checkawebsite/
Ensure that you update apps to ensure they have the latest fixes and security updates.
Useful links for further information
Setting up two-step verification
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/setting-2-step-verification-2sv
Documenting online abuse
Meta - Facebook / Instagram / WhatsApp / Threads
Meta safety center
https://about.meta.com/actions/safety
Crisis support resources (you need to select UK in drop-down menu)
https://about.meta.com/actions/safety/crisis-support-resources
Online safety for women in government
https://www.facebook.com/government-nonprofits/blog/online-safety-for-women-in-government
Meta’s guidance on what happens when AI or digital methods are used in political or social issue ads
https://www.facebook.com/government-nonprofits/blog/political-ads-ai-disclosure-policy
Guidance for prospective politicians
https://www.facebook.com/government-nonprofits/best-practices/candidate
Tips to protect your Facebook and Instagram accounts
https://www.facebook.com/government-nonprofits/blog/tips-to-protect-your-facebook-account
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1337839/?lang=en
TikTok
https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/protecting-election-integrity-in-2024
https://www.tiktok.com/safety/en/safety-privacy-controls/
TikTok’s community guidelines
https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en/
Staying safe on WhatsApp
https://faq.whatsapp.com/1313491802751163
X (formerly Twitter)
https://help.twitter.com/en/safety-and-security
YouTube
https://support.google.com/youtube/topic/2803240?hl=en&ref_topic=6151248
Further resources on the Local Government Association website
Handling online abuse and intimidation national webinar presentation
Councillors’ guide to handling harassment, abuse and intimidation
Social media guidance for councillors
Digital citizenship: support and resources for councillors
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