Do we need troll insurance?
Because people on the internet are mean.
By all accounts, Leslie Jones is a lovely person whose biggest crime is starring in a movie remake that was, at worst, just okay. It’s not the kind of thing that called for her iCloud account being hacked, nude photos being leaked, and essentially forcing her off of social media. (Don’t worry, she’s back.)
But it’s not the first time this has happened. Earlier this year, the guys behind the “Damn, Daniel” meme got hacked. While trollers get their laughs, it can cause a lot of problems for the trollees.
What if there was a way to cover damages caused by trolls? Y’know, like some sort of troll insurance?
Well, there’s something out there for just such an occasion. And it actually is troll insurance.
Wait, troll insurance is a real thing?
It is now. It’s being offered in the UK by Chubb. To Chubb, trolling is defined as “three or more acts by the same person or group to harass, threaten or intimidate a customer.”
Chubb is the first insurer to provide troll insurance. It could be an important first step to handling modern abuse.
Cool. So what does troll insurance cover, exactly?
- Up to £50,000 of damages
- Relocation if you move
- Lost income if you need to take time off of work (or you lose your job)
- Counseling to handle psychological harm
- PR firm in case of damage control
- Cybersecurity professionals to track down perpetrators
But do we actually need troll insurance?
A lot of laws meant to deal with issues on the Internet, from copyright to sales tax, are still in flux, and harassment protection is no different. Swatting (in cases where authorities have been able to track down who is responsible) has been dealt with using various general federal laws:
- “Conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, victim or informant”.
- “Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and unauthorized access of a protected computer”.
- An accomplice may be found guilty of “conspiring to obstruct justice”.
California is the only place in the US that has laws specifically on the books for handling swatting cases.
Other forms of online abuse are more well-protected against. Harassment, cyberstalking, and identity theft all have different state and/or federal laws against them. Cyberbullying, though, is different. Every state in America has laws against bullying, but fewer than half of those include provisions specifically for cyberbullying.
We’ve seen insurers come around on drone insurance, rideshare insurance, and more in recent years. Insurers haven’t been particularly proactive about these things, waiting until they were well into the public sphere before offering protection, and it seems like troll insurance could be in the same boat.
What do you think? Is troll insurance a necessity? Let us know your thoughts!
