YES: naked photo releases(01 of09)
Open Image ModalOscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was one of several famous people to have private naked pictures posted on file-sharing websites such as 4Chan and Reddit. Kate Upton, Rihanna, Kelly Brook, Cat Deeley and Kim Kardashian were also targeted in the unprecedented attack, and the hacker was believed to have stolen the images from iCloud, the Apple cloud storage which many people use without realising. Lawrence called the act a "sex crime". (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
YES: Islamic State beheading videos(02 of09)
Open Image ModalJames Foley was the first victim filmed being beheaded by Islamic State, a group whose brutality is matched only by its chilling media savvyness. It has one of the most elaborate public relations strategies of any military group, producing its own video 'series' through its Al Hayat Media Center, media wing. It also uses hostage such as John Cantlie to relay its messages to the West. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
YES: Sony Hackers achieve brief censorsip(03 of09)
Open Image ModalAfter hackers threatened to attack US cinemas, Sony Pictures cancelled the release of The Interview, its comedy film about an assassination plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Sony has now announced the film will be shown in some independent movie theatres, but its backing down shows that cyber attacks are increasingly being used to silence free speech - and getting away with it. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
YES: Trolling just keeps getting worse(04 of09)
Open Image ModalTrolling was big news in 2014, and seems to be getting more common and more ruthless. Richard Madeley vowed prosecution for internet trolls who made rape threats against his daughter Chloe, simply for trying to explain her mother Judy's own comments on rape. Robin Williams' daughter Zelda left Twitter after being sent fake images of his body after his death. (credit:Dave M. Benett via Getty Images)
NO: FBI closes The Silk Road 2.0(05 of09)
Open Image ModalThe FBI scored a coup against criminal activity carried out anonymously on the "dark web" by shutting down Silk Road 2.0, an online black market for drugs, weapons and child pornography, and arresting Blake Benthall, the alleged operator who goes under the pseudonym "Defcon". More sites have naturally sprung up in its place, but the authorities have vowed to continue their work. (credit:Coneyl Jay via Getty Images)
NO: Trolling is taken seriously(06 of09)
Open Image ModalWhile trolling has become a serious concern over the last 12 months, it is equally true that the public and police finally got serious about trolling, and took action. Celebs such as Richard Madeley have spoken out, while trolls will now face up to two years in jail for the first time under new laws. There could be a dark side to the vigour with which we hit back trolls this year though: Sky News was pilloried after confronting Brenda Leyland for 'trolling' Madeline McCann's parents. Leyland may in fact not have been a troll at all. She was found dead days later in a suspected suicide.
NO: Rise of the charity hashtag(07 of09)
Open Image ModalJockey Frankie Dettori and presenter Clare Balding were among those getting wet and cold for the Ice Bucket challenge, raising money for what became the biggest online global cause of the year. Other trends like #NoMakeUpSelfie and #WakeUpCall also saw millions of people taking action to raise money for charity - and the internet being used to channel a force for good. (credit:Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire)
NO: People power(08 of09)
Open Image ModalTime and time again in 2014, online public opinion managed to triumph over traditional media. ITV2 gave controversial comedian Dapper Laughs his own show, but the perfomer's sleazy rape jokes were axed after just one season - leaving his career in tatters - after an online petition to ban it gained 50,000 signatures, and Huffington Post UK's own blog slamming ITV2 went viral. (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)
NO: Google's right to be forgotten(09 of09)
Open Image ModalWe've yet to see the results of Google agreeing to delete links under the "right to be forgotten" principle. If used correctly, the landmark law will give individuals more control over their own data and remove 'inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant' material. In theory, this is good - but there are major questions around how Google decides what is irrelevant, and if applications will be made on reasonable grounds. Nevertheless, the change shows that the internet's unregulated honeymoon period is over, and lawmakers and online giants are starting to try to shape it - hopefully for good. (credit:Oleksiy Maksymenko via Getty Images)