Finland
Party to:
- Budapest Convention
- Istanbul Convention
- Lanzarote Convention
- Protocol on Xenophobia and Racism
The phenomenon of cyberviolence as such is a new one in Finland. Some online offences have been a topic of a public discussion but there are no domestic policies, strategies or other specific responses focusing on this issue.
Finland doesn’t have specific provisions regarding online offences/cyberbullying offences either. The coverage of these offences is to some degree unclear but nevertheless it’s possible to say that acts like these are covered by many Criminal Code provisions (offences may be committed also online).
Cyberharassment, violations of privacy, cybercrime, actual violence
Criminal Code provisions: relevant offences (may be committed also online)
- assault (Chapter 21, Section 5; this offence may injure also the mental health of a person),
- harassing communications, dissemination of information violating personal privacy, aggravated dissemination of information violating personal privacy, defamation and aggravated defamation (Chapter 24, Sections 1(a), 8, 8(a), 9 and 10),
- stalking and coercion (Chapter 25, Sections 7(a) and 8) and
- extortion and aggravated extortion (Chapter 31, Sections 3 and 4).
Online child sexual exploitation and abuse of children
Criminal Code provisions: relevant offences (may be committed also online)
- distribution of a sexually offensive picture and aggravated distribution of a sexually offensive picture depicting a child (Chapter 17, Sections 18 and 18(a)),
- sexual abuse of a child, aggravated sexual abuse of a child, purchase of sexual services from a young person, solicitation of a child for sexual purposes and following a sexually offensive performance of a child (Chapter 20, Sections 6, 7, 8(a), 8(b) and 8(c))
Hate crime
No information available yet.