Belfast Telegraph: Civil servants facing court over net slurs

By Chris Thornton

Civil servants have been warned that they could wind up in court if they're caught making any more sectarian or libellous remarks on the internet.

Warnings are being issued through all the Northern Ireland departments after the Belfast Telegraph revealed that some civil service computers had been used to make malicious and lewd comments on a popular online encyclopaedia.

They included claims that a popular Ulster television personality engaged in illegal sexual activity and a reference to "evil Irish" people.

Government staff have been told the departments will "fully co-operate" with legal action against individuals caught misusing the computers.

According to a web-based tracking system, taxpayer-funded computers registered to the Northern Ireland's civil service have made more than 1,500 changes to Wikipedia.

The same system shows that within UK government computer systems, Northern Ireland civil servants are among the most frequent editors of the online encyclopaedia, which allows anyone to contribute or edit entries.

Warnings have been issued by email from departmental security officers under the direction of the Central Personnel Group.

"Users should also note that they may be personally liable to prosecution and open to claims for damage should their actions be found to be in breach of the law," the memo issued to employees of the Department of Finance and Personnel said.

They could also be subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal, the memo warns.

In addition, the Department of Health says it is investigating the " unacceptable" comments made about the television presenter from their computer system.

The extreme nature of the comments, which have been removed by Wikipedia, means the Belfast Telegraph cannot identify the celebrity.

A department spokeswoman said they were making "efforts to trace the source", which appeared to come from their health and social care network.

Civil servants are allowed to access government computers to access the internet for personal use during their own time and most of the Wikipedia edits were straightforward.

But they are warned that they "might be monitored and should have no expectation of privacy whether use is for the conduct of official business or for personal use."

A lobby group for lower taxation said the civil servants' behaviour is a prime example of the fact many civil service jobs are superfluous.

Blair Gibbs, campaign director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: " Revelations like this just prove that taxpayers are paying for too many bureaucrats who have far too much time on their hands.

"We need a slimmed-down civil service that gives value for money, not a vast bureaucracy where well-paid slackers can while away their working day editing celebrity profiles on Wikipedia."

The misuse of Government computers was exposed by the same internet tool that revealed a Vatican computer had been used to remove allegations Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was involved in murder.