People spend more and more time in the digital world and this has created new challenges that include online aggression. To help those who have suffered hate speech, cyberhooliganism, mobbing, and similar virtual attacks, Insurance Joint Stock Company “BTA Baltic Insurance Company” (hereinafter — BTA) has started compensating expenses related to hate alert online for the first time in Latvia.

From now on, BTA Property insurance policy will include an option to insure “hate alert” risk. It provides compensation of expenses for psychologist and psychotherapist help and expenses for legal services related to insult or slander towards the insured person or his/her family members. The insurance policy covers such risks as hate speech directed towards the victims, cyberhooliganism, cybermobbing, hooliganism online, aggressive and insulting actions online, including insulting comments, blackmail, uncoordinated spreading of false or unwanted private information and photographs online. The victim can receive a compensation, if a person has spread false statements or images in his/her name, indicating the victim as the alleged author of these materials. The lawyer’s work will be compensated also in cases if the victim turns against the person who has expressed threats in the online comments or social networks.

“As people mostly communicate online, the digital environment becomes more and more important in our lives. Unfortunately, different expressions of aggression and conflicts is an adverse side-effect that should be treated as strictly and insistently as in the real world. We want our clients to feel safe both on the street and in the digital world, therefore we offer our clients insurance against hate alert online that will help the victims to turn against their offenders and get legal and psychological help,” the Director of Risk Underwriting Department, Ivo Danče, justifies the need of implementation of the new insurance risk.

Negative emotions caused by a digital attack are well-known to the radio host, Maija Rozīte-Krištopane, whose access to her Instagram profile was stolen two and a half years ago. Thereby the offenders not only stole 13 700 followers, but also obtained an opportunity to spread information in the name of Rozīte-Krištopane that she would not like to disclose herself.

“Although the loss of an account does not cause threats to life, the feeling is unenviable. I felt disappointed, confused, sad, disgusted, angry, and regretful. All in all, I can say that I felt full scale of not so positive emotions. The thought that somebody can spread false information or slander me in front of thousands of people is not very pleasant,” Maija Rozīte-Krištopane suggests that people should be as careful towards their property online as they are towards their physical property. And if somebody has taken possession of it, do not be quiet about it but turn for help.

About BTA

BTA Baltic Insurance Company is one of the leading insurance companies in the Baltics, offering the broadest range of non-life insurance services in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. BTA employs more than 1,000 employees in the Baltics. The shareholder of BTA is Vienna Insurance Group AG with close to 200 years of experience in the insurance business. With about 50 companies in 30 countries and more than 25,000 employees, Vienna Insurance Group is a clear market leader in its Central and Eastern European markets, and takes care of more than 22 million customers. Vienna Insurance Group is the best-rated company of ATX, the leading index of Vienna Stock Exchange (since 1994) with a rating of A+ with stable outlook from Standard & Poor’s. Vienna Insurance Group works in close partnership with Erste Group – the largest retail bank in CEE.

Additional information:
Elīna Zvejniece
Marketing and Public Relations Department Director
BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS
e-mail elina.zvejniece@bta.lv