TOWIE’s Bobby Norris has revealed how a four year fight to lobby parliament to change the law surrounding online trolling is 'very close' to becoming a law.
The 35-year-old reality star has fronted a e-petition for change which resulted in the Online Safety Bill after previously attending a parliamentary debate to raise the issue with MPs in the House of Commons.
Chatting on Access All Areas, FUBAR Radio o he told co-host Stephen Leng: “I really feel like we’re so close to a law being passed now.”
The Commons petitions committee wants the likes of Twitter and Facebook punished if they fail to stop offenders returning.
It also urged platforms to allow users to have verified ID accounts.
And he admits that due to the pandemic things have only got worse as social contact was cut and people turned to social media for interaction more than ever before.
He continued: “I think especially off the back of the last two years there’s been such a rise in trolling online.
“A lot of people have been at home spending so much of their days on social media and whether it was their anxiety about the situation, or people’s anger or hate… there was definitely a huge rise in it happening.”
He added: “I’m a big believer that hurt people, hurt people.”
Despite acknowledging this worrying trend and having experienced a lot of online abuse first hand, Bobby’s recent trip to parliament filled him with confidence.
He continued: “Everyone seems to just be on the same page and that’s the lovely thing, like that the MP’s even acknowledge it.
“The MP’s stand up and they’ve got their research on it and they’re giving their reasons why they believe this needs to become a law and why this change needs to happen quick.”
He added: “That excites me because I know how many people this is gonna help.”
Bobby has previously shared how he himself faced cruel trolling after using facial filler but stresses the campaign is to better protect anyone suffering with online trolling.
“I’ve always been the first to say that this isn’t about me, it’s about the messages I get from people that suffer. It isn’t just people in the public eye who receive online hate and abuse.
“I’m just so grateful that the powers above are actually acknowledging that something needs to be done.”
Bobby also addresses the need for outdated laws to be looked at saying 'the genie's out the bottle' and the 'laws haven't kept up with technology - something he hopes this new Online Safety bill will address.
He added: “I think technology has grown so quick so fast relatively speaking. You have to remember a lot of laws are from like hundreds of years ago.
“Even when you look back 10/11 years ago, what it was to what it is now, it’s a very different thing. The genie’s out the bottle and the laws just haven’t kept up with technology.”
The Towie fave admits online safety is a tough cookie to crack but feels positive that the steps he has called for will help people.
