What is an online threat?
There are two types of online threats:
1. Hypothetical Threats
Hypothetic threats could include expressing disagreement by making non-serious threats which are highly unlikely to be carried out. These would not normally go against community standards on social networking sites unless there are other factors to be considered.
2. Credible Threats
Credible threats can sometimes pose real-life danger, putting someone at immediate risk of harm e.g. a threat to life. These threats should always be reported as an emergency to the police.
Other credible threats of this kind would include “outing” someone’s behaviour to blackmail them. Threats may be used to coerce someone into doing something they don’t want to do e.g. sending an intimate image or another behaviour they may later regret.
You can find out more about what to do if you’re worried that someone may be blackmailing you here.