TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail


Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail


Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)
Mon, 9 Jan 2006 13:12:43 -0500

By Declan McCullagh
Story last modified Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 PST 2006

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a
prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying
e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.

In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a
blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for
small favors, I guess.

This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of
Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and
Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include
stiff fines and two years in prison.

"The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv
Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.
"What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."

Buried deep in the new law is Sec. 113, an innocuously titled bit
called "Preventing Cyberstalking." It rewrites existing telephone
harassment law to prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without
disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy."

http://news.com.com/2010-1028-6022491.html

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Cellular-News: "Cellular-News for Monday 9th January 2006"
Go to Previous message: Blogger Response: "Blogger (John in DC) Responds to Selling Phone Records"
Next in thread: David B. Horvath, CCP: "Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail"
May be reply: David B. Horvath, CCP: "Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail"
May be reply: Tony P.: "Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail"
May be reply: Steve Sobol: "Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail"
May be reply: Barry Margolin: "Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail"
May be reply: Matt Simpson: "Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page