Source (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/05/trolling-someone-online-bill-would-slap-you-with-jail-time.ars)
QuoteA recently introduced cyberbullying bill could land us all in jail?that is, if you have ever used an electronic medium to troll someone. HR 1966, the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act, is named after the high-profile "MySpace suicide" victim Megan Meier. It's meant to prevent people from using the Internet to "coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person." However, as with many bills of this nature, the murky language and vague standards leave much open to interpretation, which has caused critics to call it the Censorship Act instead.
HR 1966 was introduced in April by US Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and it's supported by 14 other members of Congress. According to the text, individuals who bully others via any electronic means could face fines, two years in prison, or both. This, of course, could include those nasty text messages you sent to your ex on Saturday night, the questionable e-mail you sent to your brother, or those forum posts you made in which you called for someone who liked the new Star Trek movie to jump off a building.
The bill largely flew under the radar until fairly recently (thanks to NetworkWorld for the heads-up) but criticism has been building. The language in the bill is so vague, it could be interpreted to apply to practically any situation, including blog posts critical of public officials.
UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh went into detail on his blog, suggesting that numerous everyday situations could render regular citizens felons if their behavior is considered "severe" enough. "I try to coerce a politician into voting a particular way, by repeatedly blogging (using a hostile tone) about what a hypocrite/campaign promise breaker/fool/etc. he would be if he voted the other way. I am transmitting in interstate commerce a communication with the intent to coerce using electronic means (a blog) 'to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior'? unless, of course, my statements aren't seen as 'severe,' a term that is entirely undefined and unclear," Volokh wrote.
Still, Sanchez insists that the bill isn't meant to dampen free speech online. "Congress has no interest in censoring speech and it will not do so if it passes this bill," Sanchez wrote on the Huffington Post. "Put simply, this legislation would be used as a tool for a judge and jury to determine whether there is significant evidence to prove that a person 'cyberbullied' another. That is: did they have the required intent, did they use electronic means of communication, and was the communication severe, hostile, and repeated. So?bloggers, emailers, texters, spiteful exes, and those who have blogged against this bill have no fear?your words are still protected under the same American values."
Although Sanchez seems to think there's no possibility for abuse with this bill, we all know what the road to hell is paved with. Despite her reassurance that it won't be used to censor Internet communications, there's no way to predict how judges would interpret such a law. One thing we do know is that cyberbullying cases have picked up since Missouri passed its own law following Megan Meier's death?if HR 1966 makes it past the House Committee on the Judiciary and into the books, we could see a serious uptick in those types of cases.
I'll see you all in jail then. :3
If this actually gets passed, I don't see it being very efficient. It would be really difficult to enforce.
Plus, people make fun of people on the internet everyday. That would be a lot of offenses.
See you in jail, Doodle.
In fact, see everyone on the internet in jail.
This has been tried so many times it's not even funny.
Ohhhhhhh, so this is what facebook meant when it said I was going to go to jail...
Well, NSFCD reunion at some jail somewhere see you there :D
...
=|
I will go ahead and break that rule riiiiiggght now.
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Keigoe/Jasi/AnotherFinger.jpg)
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Keigoe/Jasi/FlippinUoffsomemore.jpg)
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Keigoe/RP%20Stuff/JasSaysFU.png)
Well, I'd be fairly sad to see it go. Trolling IS the fourth best thing on the internet.
5. 4chan
4. Trolling in general
3. Vidja games
2. Organized games (werewolf, RPs)
1. Porn
Quote from: Jono2 on August 31, 2009, 12:43:56 PM
Well, I'd be fairly sad to see it go. Trolling IS the fourth best thing on the internet.
5. 4chan
4. Trolling in general
3. Vidja games
2. Organized games (werewolf, RPs)
1. Porn
I don't know what is more pathetic, you or that list. Oh wait I do know, you.
Quote from: Matt on August 31, 2009, 12:46:36 PM
I don't know what is more pathetic, you or that list. Oh wait I do know, you.
Fuck off Matt, nobody likes you.
This topic just became a bit more interesting. :3
cyberbullying doesn't exist, if you get picked on online, just turn the darn computer off.
Quote from: Jono2 on August 31, 2009, 12:48:40 PM
Fuck off Matt, nobody likes you.
The man has a point.
EVERYBODY STOP HARASSING ME OR I'LL KILL MYSELF!
Quote from: J on August 31, 2009, 01:11:44 PM
EVERYBODY STOP HARASSING ME OR I'LL KILL MYSELF!
You'd be doing the world a huge favor.
Oh god I'm a criminal.
Megan Meier. I typed that into Google,
(http://i26.tinypic.com/1zr1gtv.jpg)
Wait, Wiki said that she was pranked in real life and that some girl illegally accessed her account and embarrassed her.
Wat.
I want to go to jail with 4chan.
It would be like /b/ but with real people.
So the internet will go IRL. Then we can make contacts and have organized trolling/spamming/scamming rings on the internet.
It'll give us a boost like it does to gangs and stuff.
Quote from: Lotos on August 31, 2009, 01:28:48 PM
Megan Meier. I typed that into Google,
(http://i26.tinypic.com/1zr1gtv.jpg)
Ahaha, that actually works.
Quote from: That ThisIsU is a Spy on August 31, 2009, 02:11:00 PM
Ahaha, that actually works.
Well, it wasn't exactly what I thought it was, but it was about a guy who made a blog that said she did it and covered her tracks or something.
Quote from: That ThisIsU is a Spy on August 31, 2009, 02:11:00 PM
Ahaha, that actually works.
Freakin hilarious! So yeah 99% of all internet users would be jailed if all internet laws were enforced.
That would be impossible to enforce. How would somebody know who to arrest when Jono insulted Matt? Also, the internet isn't only in the US. What if my friend from Europe (I'm making this up) insulted people on the internet, how would they know?
Quote from: Www4 on August 31, 2009, 04:29:06 PM
i do
Nobody likes you either, funny how that works.
Oh wait, I'm in trouble :(
Heheheh... let's watch as at least %75 of the nation get's put in jail.
Jails will overcrowd in weeks.
Law enforcement gets overrun.
Websites shut down.
Crime rates (of actually serious crimes) skyrocket.
Economy completely sinks into a black hole of no return.
Oh, yeah, think of the horrid possibilities. I just did.
And maybe I was overly dramatic about it. BUT WHO CARES IT'S A STUPID BILL ANYWAY THAT'LL NEVER WORK.
I've never really understood how they even think they can begin enforcing it. Besides, they'd not only run out of jail space, all the kids they fined wouldn't have the cash to pay with. Really, anyone that votes for it (sans obvious peeps, like those that had a sibling/etc stupid enough to kill themselves) is a moron, and shouldn't have access to the internet. Ever.
Quote from: Customrobo13 on August 31, 2009, 02:00:47 PM
I want to go to jail with 4chan.
It would be like /b/ but with real people.
And anal rape.
Quote from: Lotos on August 31, 2009, 06:36:09 PM
And anal rape.
But that already exists in jails. o.o;
Quote from: Sh0rTi on August 31, 2009, 06:42:51 PM
But that already exists in jails. o.o;
They do it for dominance. /b/ does it for pleasure.
Quote from: Lotos on August 31, 2009, 06:43:52 PM
They do it for dominance. /b/ does it for pleasure.
I fail to see how that proves dominance; either end is still rather embarrasing.
Quote from: バシャーモ-せんぱい on August 31, 2009, 08:14:03 PM
I fail to see how that proves dominance; either end is still rather embarrasing.
I never got that either. Maybe it's an intimidation thing?
Also, one of the prime rules of the internet is if you're out to troll, you'd better use a darn proxy. Would they really go through the trouble of finding out who it is behind multiple proxies?
You're all fags.
Oh wait.
So now I can get SexyHornyBitch6723 to stop spamming my AIM? Fuck yes.
Right.
Quote from: Lotos on August 31, 2009, 08:46:17 PM
I never got that either. Maybe it's an intimidation thing?
I'M BIGGER THAN YOU. TO SHOW THIS, I WILL RAPE YOU.
Yeah i remember when these people came to our school and tell us about cyberbullying. I told them that if you think that exists you don't belong on the internets.