The increase in the time children spend playing online games during the pandemic has also increased the rate of exposure to cyberbullying. Lawyer Murat Aydar, who struggles with cyberbullying in every field, said, “Children are exposed to insults in online games. But parents do not know that it is a crime. However, swearing or insulting in online games has a prison sentence of 2 to 3 years. To date, we have filed criminal complaints against more than 100 players," he said.
Studies show that especially children between the ages of 8-12 are insulted through online games. According to the “Responsible Digital Parenting” survey by global cybersecurity company Kaspersky, 57% of parents see cyberbullying as a major concern for their children. On the other hand, the fact that families do not have enough information about cyberbullying or cyber security turns the issue into a hidden threat. Almost one in four parents (4%) thinks that their child is facing a threat on the Internet. However, as 23% of them do not have enough information about cyberbullying, they cannot fully define this threat. Stating that the lack of knowledge in parents is not limited to the methods of cyberbullying, Lawyer Muharrem Murat Aydar said, “The cyberbullying that children are exposed to is increasing with online games. Parents don't realize it, but their kids face insults right in front of their eyes. In order to intervene in this situation, parents need to know the legal side of the issue very well," he said.
We've filed criminal charges for over 100 players
Pointing out that children are most affected by insults in online games, Lawyer Muharrem Murat Aydar said, “All correspondence and conversations during online games are recorded by game developer companies. When requested during the lawsuits, companies can submit the players' speech and microphone recordings and IP information to the court," he said. Saying that they filed a criminal complaint against more than 100 players who insulted their clients through online games, Aydar made the following assessment: “There is a belief that insulting in online games does not constitute a crime. Thinking that there is no sanction in this regard can spread the crime. As criminal complaints become widespread and lawsuits are filed, there will be a noticeable decrease in insults on online games.”
Lawsuit must be filed within 6 months
Lawyer Muharrem Murat Aydar, whose parents suggest to be involved in the online games played by the children, said, “Children may not perceive the insults they are exposed to during the game as a crime. For this reason, parents have a great job in detecting cyberbullying. There is a chance to file a lawsuit within 6 months after the crime of defamation is detected,” he added.
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