Should Ask.FM be Banned? Comment

Raphael August 08, 2013 0 Comment

Ask.fm has made the headlines this week after it became apparent that a young 14 year old girl had committed suicide after receiving hate messages from so called “internet trolls” through anonymous questions in her Ask inbox.

Following this, the website, owned by Mark and Ilja Terabin, has been called “vile” and calls have been made to shut down the website, with David Cameron, British PM, urging users to boycott the “dreadful” website.

Do I think this is fair? Do I think Ask.fm is vile? Do I think it should be banned? No. My answer to all three of these questions is no. Now, I am not a cold person. I cry at sad films, I like dogs and babies make me smile, so I’m pretty sure I have a heart. But answer me this – why did she, and the others who have come to such a tragic end, continue to read the nasty messages? When you register for an Ask.fm account, there is no binding contract that says you have to read all messages, or even that you have to remain a member. There is the option to delete your account, and there is also the option that means anonymous users cannot ask you questions.

I know their cases are tragic, and people have died, so please believe me when I say I am not making a joke of this. But I personally don’t think this is a government issue, or anything for newspapers like The Sun to be blowing out of proportion. When you sign up for an account on a website like Ask.fm, it is YOUR account. You have control over what happens, and if you begin to receive stuff you don’t want, delete your account, cross off the tab and stick to something else that doesn’t make you want to curl up and cry. Why would you constantly put yourself through the abuse, when there is an effective and easy way out? Childlike intrigue means that of course, people are curious as to what people think about them, but once it gets out of hand, leave.

Pressure has been put on the owners to close the website, and they have been labelled “Russian playboy millionaires” who are “putting wealth above welfare” but I don’t think this is fair. Bullying goes beyond a computer screen, and the blame should be put on the bullies themselves, and the idea that these victims didn’t see fit to stop the bullying themselves when they so easily could have done so – not the Russian brothers who, in my opinion, have done a pretty good job at making millions from a simple question and answer site. Yes, as businessmen, they should consider basic ethics and morals. But they shouldn’t have to take the blame for these teenager’s deaths.

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