Posted on 03/19/2017 6:26:45 PM PDT by Johnny Diamond
When the journalist Kurt Eichenwald opened an animated image sent to him on Twitter in December, the message You deserve a seizure for your posts appeared in capital letters along with a blinding strobe light. Mr. Eichenwald, who has epilepsy, immediately suffered a seizure.
On Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had arrested John Rayne Rivello, 29, at his home in Salisbury, Md., and accused him of sending the electronic file. The agency charged Mr. Rivello with criminal cyberstalking with the intent to kill or cause bodily harm.
The charge could carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years, according to the United States district attorney in Dallas, who is prosecuting the case.
The unusual case has shown how online tools can be deployed as weapons capable of physical harm. The F.B.I. and the Dallas police led the investigation into Mr. Rivello, and the police said he sent the strobe light knowing that it was likely to lead Mr. Eichenwald, who has publicly discussed his epilepsy, into a seizure.
Steven Lieberman, Mr. Eichenwalds lawyer, has argued that the use of the strobe light in a GIF, or moving graphic, was akin to sending an explosive or poison in the mail.
This electronic message was no different than a bomb sent in the mail or anthrax sent in an envelope, said Mr. Lieberman, who is working on the case as a pro bono service. It triggers a physical effect.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I had no idea such a thing was possible tho I vaguely remember some Japanese TV doing something like that.
In an article about hypnotism, I once read that Franz Mesmer could put some people into a trance just by looking at them.
Wow! How did he cause the brightness of a computer screen to increase to blinding intensity? I would sue the computer maker /sarc.
...that would get me in trouble at the beach
Hipmo-tized!
I must disagree. If a person can "be killed" by images in a simple message then that person should either take responsibility for reading those messages, or have a screener open them first. I have seen hundreds of such flashing images in my years of simply browsing the net.
Please, I know I’m too old to get a jury summons in Texas any more but I want to be on this jury. What the fu*k has happened to this country, how can you get a blinding flash of light from a computer screen.
that’s insane. I was in that Twitter thread. that guy is a fruitcake — he had just been destroyed on cable television by tucker carlson.
I don’t believe it even happened.
Is this the same guy?
Well, I guess I won't get upset unless someone posts "The Brown Note"!
Interestingly enough Kurt kept posting that night.
He’s also the “journalist” who got caught spending thousands of dollars to watch sexual videos of an underage teen boy.
I get it. I could easily get a migraine from a sustained strobe light. I love going to music shows but when they bring out strobe effects I have to close my eyes or turn away. Even those fluorescent lights when they are about to die could cause migraines.
Interestingly enough Kurt kept posting that night.
Hes also the journalist who got caught spending thousands of dollars to watch sexual videos of an underage teen boy.
This is complete garbage. How about sending an addict a picture of a syringe and then he goes and shoots up? Or how about sending a picture of donut to a fatman who dies of diabetes when he’s triggered by the donut?
Right. How was it proven that he had a seizure. We’re supposed to take his word for it?
If someone sends you an email , youtube video or tweet addressed to you, you have a choice. You could ignore it and leave the email , youtube video or tweet unread, unresponded to, or you could take a gamble that they aren’t sending you Spam, or sending something that would ruin your computer and open that email or that tweet.
This reporter took the gamble that it would be harmless, and he got suckered. People can send all manner of blinding flashing lights as depicted on their message, but again, it’s up to the receiver whether or not to open it up.
If I’m not expecting something specific from someone, I NEVER, NEVER open it up.
That is a sure way to get your computer infected by a virus.
Some Virus emails come with their own solutions. They will say ; “If you want to remove this virus, email this address and send us $400. Thanks!”
Why didn’t the dummy shut his eyes? This is BS.
“How did he cause the brightness of a computer screen”
It has more to do with the specific frequency of the flashing. Brightness is not the major issue.
I’m glad to read that the FBI is on duty ... looking for low hanging fruit. I wonder how the Clinton Foundation investigation is going.
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