Britain pushes online sanctions

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LONDON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Those who use the Internet to commit crimes, harass and bully others or to incite crime should be kept from going online, the British government said Friday.

The cybersecurity strategy calls on police and courts to adopt sanctions that have already been used in a few cases, The Daily Telegraph reported. The government is also studying the use of technology to determine if offenders can be monitored online.

"The Ministry of Justice and the Home Office will consider and scope the development of a new way of enforcing these orders, using 'cyber-tags' which are triggered by the offender breaching the conditions that have been put on their internet use, and which will automatically inform the police or probation service," the cybersecurity strategy said.

Two teenagers in Scotland were banned from the Internet for using Facebook to encourage rioters earlier this year. Sanctions have also been imposed on those involved in coordinated hacking like that done by the Anonymous group.

London's Metropolitan Police have already recruited volunteer experts as special constables to help combat computer crime. The report encouraged other police forces to do the same.