Posted on 09/22/2012 8:50:15 AM PDT by dirtboy
HARRISBURG — Offending someone online isn’t a crime, but proposed legislation in Pennsylvania would penalize people who take it too far.
Next week, House Judiciary Committee representatives are scheduled to discuss House Bill 2249, which makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate someone online. But the bill has stirred up free speech debates for its potential chilling effect on online communication — or on pranksters.
Now, the bill’s sponsor says specific changes will ensure people who are joking with friends, or exercising First Amendment rights, won’t be prosecuted.
The sponsor, state Rep. Katharine Watson, R-Bucks, said the bill is targeted toward giving law enforcement a way to penalize online bullying.
The law would make it a crime to impersonate someone online through a social media account like Facebook or Twitter, or through a fake email address or text message.
(Excerpt) Read more at paindependent.com ...
Pretty soon it will be illegal to not be on FB.
FB = An eighth commandment-free zone dominated by codependent narcissists and voyeurs.
Only gays can be bullied these days, don’cha know?
Uh, yes, I read the entire article, jerk.
so... i can vote without any proof of id but if i create a facebook page using an online alias i go to jail?
yea... facebook isn’t today’s fbi file
All this proves is that the Government wants to use facebook to track the masses . . .
The only reason the Internet and PC's created such a huge boom in the 80's and 90's was because government didn't understand what was happening and couldn't figure out how to regulate and tax it. This is why I don't hold out much hope for the prophesied GNR (genetics-nanotechnology-robotics) boom toward the end of this decade. US regulatory agencies now overwhelming in their scope and power, and are ready to pounce on any commercial trend that looks like it might become profitable.
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I hate it when - R s act like - D s.
The article refers to impersonating someone else. That is just an extension of existing laws. An alias, moniker or pen name is entirely different than presenting oneself as another person.
Heh. Nice catch!
Heh. Nice catch!
But no, they'd rather word on more RETRICTIONS on our freedom than RETURNING our freedom. It makes me wonder why I even vote...
My guess is that there would have to be some kind of crime “at the end of the day” in any of these cases. This is why the Stolen Valor Act was (rightfully) overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, by the way. Impersonating someone just for the sake of impersonating them can’t be criminalized and can’t really even be subject to legal action in civil court, but if the impersonator somehow uses the act of impersonation to do harm to others or defraud them in any way, then it would be subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability under existing statutes related to fraud or other torts.
“The best way for the government to stop online bullying is for the government to stop bullying people online.”
I don’t understand online bullying. Turn off the PC; end of problem. (Alternatively, hit delete or block the bully.) Am I missing something?
You are a 14 year old Girl. A click of girls who dislike you take a picture of you that is unflattering (the possibilities are endless on exactly what that would be.) Then its passed on Facebook and Twitter and media messages between phones. Next day at school everyone points and laughs and ridicules you for whatever social gaffe has been deemed offensive by the click.
You may think this a minor matter but in the social climate of teenagers this is akin to a restaurant being shutdown for cockroaches and rats.
Sad, but true.
Pennsylvania is incapable of fine-tuning anything.
I know...I live there.
PS...
Corbett is a fascist who thinks entrapment is a good way to enforce the law.
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