[EpicQuest_246]

> As I understand things, MPs who are on Twitter regularly get anonymous threats of rape, murder etc https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63330885 - credible threats,

I am sure threats of violence are already illegal. If those people are in the UK, they should be prosecuted. If they are not in the UK they is not threat. I don't believe any if these online threats BTW are credible.

What these MPs do is frequently make outlandish statements, which then gets them a bunch of hate (Jess Phillips has done this her entire political career) and useful idiots will shout their mouth off online. These MPs then point to all the "hate" they are getting. There is even a meme demonstrating this very effect:

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/960/143/d7a...

> with two MPs murdered in the last decade.

The murder of David Amess had nothing to do with Social Media. The killer said it was to do with religion when asked by Police.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_David_Amess#Investig...

I believe the individual was deemed at risk of radicalisation.

> You and I have the luxury that we can just not be on Twitter - but when you're an MP, unless you're in a very safe seat you've got to meet voters where they are, not where you'd like them to be.

They don't need to be on Twitter. Twitter isn't their local constituents. They have surgeries for this very reason. Very few people on Twitter are relevant to what happens on election day in their constituency.

> So from an MP's perspective? In one hand they've got a report about revenge porn, cyber-bullying, 4chan /pol/ and pro-anorexia facebook groups. In the other hand they've got their phone where someone's just told them to kill themselves.

Even if that is true that doesn't mean we restrict everyone's rights because a minority are engaging in illegal/immoral acts.

> They believe in these "illegal harms" because they've got a front row seat, and experience them on a daily basis.

That is what they say to sell the narrative that they need to censor social media. If you look over the last 20 years. It is as if nobody has learned anything from the early 2000s and the war on terror. They will exploit (or create) any crisis.