Posted on 01/10/2006 9:28:53 AM PST by Sonar5
Excerpt: (full Story at link) 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."
It's illegal to annoy
A new federal law states that when you annoy someone on the Internet, you must disclose your identity. Here's the relevant language.
"Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."
......To grease the rails for this idea, Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, and the section's other sponsors slipped it into an unrelated, must-pass bill to fund the Department of Justice. The plan: to make it politically infeasible for politicians to oppose the measure.
The tactic worked. The bill cleared the House of Representatives by voice vote, and the Senate unanimously approved it Dec. 16.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.com ...
What was Specter thinking y inserting this crap. I find the whole law annoying, so who do I sue?
I did a search and didn't find anything on this, so I figured I would post it.
This thing will be struck down as soon as a case goes to some court.
But what I fear in the process is ISP's and others restricting free speech and using this law as the excuse to do so.
So what do we do about it?
The law is here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.03402:
Time to fight for our rights.
Sincerely, An Annoyed Person who refuse to use his real name in this thread. AKA Sonar5
PS: If this post annoys anyone, sue me!
Someday we can all tell our grandkids about the good ole days, back when we could have flame wars on the Internet.
This is likely to be as effective and enforced as the "DO NOT SPAM" law that went into effect last year ...
There are web hosting sites that shut down your blog if someone in N. Korea has a burr in their saddle or a Kim Jong Ill caption like this http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1555381/posts?page=35#35
That is annoying :OP
I did search, bit not for annoyance.
I searched for Annoy and annoying, annoying illegal,....
Sorry, the engine didn't find it, but I did search. :-)
Well, there goes FR...
What defines annoying? Is there a legal precidence of annoyance? If I were to continue to ask questions on this obviously insane law would that be annoying. Will the annoyance have to be judged by a panel of experts on things that are annoying? Will this create an annoying new governmental agency who's sole purpose is to find out what annoys us and create policy statements on such matters. Oh, wait, they already have the IRS. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I so dog gone funny I annoy myself, crap now the cops are gonna come for me.
No, no, no lawsuite buddy, you go straight to jail, do not pass go do not collect $200. And if that annoys you than I'll just be your cellmate, hows that for annoying. We can all just annoy each other in jail. Maybe they can open a new prison right next to Guantanamo for annoying people such as us.
I decided I ain't done yet.
The other Author only put in a these keywords:
ANNOYINGDUPLICATE; INTERNET
And Topics:
crime/corruption
So you tell me, how I'm supposed to find it.
Why not just comment on the thread instead, oh perfect one.
And if my post annoys you, have me arrested. :-)
I kind of find it annoying when I'm pulled over by the police. Can I have them arrested for annoying me?
Jeeze, what the hell is this country coming too!! I mean really no BS involved here. What the crap are our representative doing up there on the hill? This is getting rather annoying, arrest the lot of them!!
"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."
Scary, when the ACLU actually makes a good point.
This law invites abuse. Bad, bad idea.
A thread from yesterday gives definitions. This law, basically, extends telephone protections to the internet. It does go farther than being an irritation. I'll take a look.
Actually this law could invite circular retribution. But what really has me scratching my head is, does the law trump privacy laws that would bar ISP's and other entities from divulging the identities of these annoying people? You break one law to enforce another? Kind of annoying isn't it?
Oh calm down I just wanted to point out the other threads on this subject.
Are you referring to crank callers? I mean that's really annoying, but it's kind of hard to crank call someone on a bulletin board isn't it?
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