Anonymous trolling now illegal in the US

[billvon 3,132]

It's true! Our government has just made it illegal to post annoying messages on the Internet without revealing your identity.

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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."

. . . .

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."

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http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html?part=rss&tag=6022491&subj=news

[AlexCrowley 0]

damn it. beat me to it.

Luckily I'm protected because this is my real identity.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[artistcalledian 0]

________________________________________
drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police

[Rebecca 0]

You have GOT to be kidding.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[kallend 2,175]

That post annoyed me.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Falko 0]

Seems that the government does not understand the very principle of internet communications.

But what difference does it make anyway...

Ich betrachte die Religion als Krankheit, als Quelle unnennbaren Elends für die menschliche Rasse.
(Bertrand Russell, engl. Philosoph, 1872-1970)

[billvon 3,132]

>That post annoyed me.

Shuttlecocks annoy me.

[quade 4]

Quote

That post annoyed me.

Perhaps, but at least billvon is a known entity so, it's not illegal.

Too bad this wasn't in place before the election.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[SpeedRacer 1]

well, this is a US law, right?

so artistcalledian is off the hook.

Speed Racer
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[Rebecca 0]

So, define "Identity."

Rebecca is my name, and I live in Houston, but that doesn't identify me.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[billvon 3,132]

>Rebecca is my name, and I live in Houston, but that doesn't identify me.

Correct. So if you post anything annoying, you would be liable under this law.

[wmw999 2,600]

Quote

Rebecca is my name, and I live in Houston, but that doesn't identify me.

I look just like my picture. That makes me very not-anonymous, at least in my own little universe.

So I can go back to my usual flamebait trolling obnoxious posts

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Land of the free....

See, PJ is right, Bush doesn't restrict freedom too much at all....

I am not sure if he has his full name in his profile page, but if he doesn't I may have to report him

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

Land of the free....

See, PJ is right, Bush doesn't restrict freedom too much at all....

I am not sure if he has his full name in his profile page, but if he doesn't I may have to report him

Bush doesn't write laws.

If this law is enacted, thank the members of the House and Senate. Without them, Bush would have a blank piece of paper before him to sign.

Your continued blaming of Bush is absurd.


-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[SkyDekker 1,465]

doesn't he have veto power?

Does his party not control both houses?

Is he not the leader of the party?

[billvon 3,132]

>Bush doesn't write laws.

Nope, but he signs them. He's responsible for approving them. Both Bush and Congress bear the blame here - Congress for authoring such a dumb law, Bush for signing it.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Quote

Anonymous trolling

There goes my plans for 2006

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[freethefly 6]

My identity is what I wish it to be. How a person identifies themself should not be a rule of law. Merely by annoying someone should not come under consequence of legal action by the government. If, however a person threatens others bodily harm or property damage there are laws forbidden such. Yet merely annoying someone should not be a law that has severe consequence.
I would hate to have to explain to a pychopathic killer in prison why I was serving time. That might really annoy him and get time added on to my sentence for doing such.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[Rebecca 0]

Quote

>Rebecca is my name, and I live in Houston, but that doesn't identify me.

Correct. So if you post anything annoying, you would be liable under this law.

OK, so how would I avoid that under law? Post my full name, DOB, SSN, and cell number as my sig?

Any more than my real first name and city (and bunches of pictures of me) is more than I want every Tom, Dick, and Stalker to know... how do you stay compliant with this law without leaving yourself open to harm?

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[rehmwa 2]

This is another PR law that will have no effect on anyone. In practice, it will just revert to redundant actions to harassment laws already on the books.

BUT NOW we have more, so it must be more wrong than before. Gotta love Congress. It must have been hidden in a pay raise bill.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[nathaniel 0]

Quote

OK, so how would I avoid that under law? Post my full name, DOB, SSN, and cell number as my sig?

No, that would probably imperil dz.com under New York State's Security Breach Notification Act, esp if you were a citizen of the State of NY, which then would require dz.com to notify you in writing that they had disclosed your protected information. Eliot Spitzer probably doesn't care what nationality the site operator is.

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[Sen.Blutarsky 0]

Quote

>Bush doesn't write laws.

Nope, but he signs them. He's responsible for approving them. Both Bush and Congress bear the blame here - Congress for authoring such a dumb law, Bush for signing it.

Bill, the language you quote simply extends the corresponding Communications Decency Act provisos already in place.

And the CDA was signed into law by President Clinton, not President Bush.

The use of the “annoy” term is old hat but remains a valid concern due to selective enforcement.

This is simply a predictable schuss down the slippery slope of government from telephony to who knows where.


Blutarsky 2008. No Prisoners!

[Shotgun 1]

Quote

"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."

Yeah, I think they just need to remove the word "annoy." If not, then there are a lot of posters on here who will soon be going to prison. (Of course, I don't have to worry about that because I never annoy anyone. )

[Rebecca 0]

I don't think that would apply if I posted that info myself...

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[billvon 3,132]

>Any more than my real first name and city (and bunches of pictures
> of me) is more than I want every Tom, Dick, and Stalker to know...
> how do you stay compliant with this law without leaving yourself
> open to harm?

No idea. Most likely people will be fine unless they are 'people of interest' in which case this law will be used to arrest them. (Or unless they criticize the government, of course.)