Troll Insurance: Coverage for the Digital Age

http://wap.engadget.com/2015/12/10/troll-insurance/

Recently there has been news that an insurance company in the UK has begun offering coverage for cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying has been on the rise since the creation of the Internet and social media, and it is no joke.  Over half (52 percent) off young people report being cyber bullied (1)."No longer are bullies confined to picking on other kids on the school playground; today, many bullies are refraining from physical assaults, opting instead for around the clock bashing via email, social media, instant messaging and other online platforms"

Chubb Insurance will begin offering something called "troll insurance" that protects you against the effects of online abuse. Some high-end insurance company's offer policies aiding you in pursuing lawsuits related to cyber-bullying, but Chubb's policy is more focused on the actual well-being of the receiving end of the online abuse. The client will be able to claim up to nearly $76,000 in expenses for counseling, moving expenses, and work leave, and for more serious cases they can actually cover a team to come in and repair the tarnished online reputation. They also cover the employment of a forensics team to find and bring justice to the anonymous online trolls.

As we move more and more into the digital age, there will be more and more examples of this. It may seem outrageous on this small of a scale (a single insurance company), but I believe that we will begin to see more examples of this as it becomes more of a problem and potentially take more lives. Cyber-bullying is no small problem, and now there is a way to feel more protected against it's wake.




Sources:
http://nobullying.com/cyber-bullying-statistics-2014/
http://wap.engadget.com/2015/12/10/troll-insurance/