Being "Annoying" On Internet Now Federal Crime
So behave now, or else... :twisted:
http://crime.about.com/b/a/234339.htmThe U.S. Congress passed, and President Bush signed, a law that makes it a federal crime to post messages on the Internet that are annoying, if you do so anonymously.
Buried deep within the Department of Justice Reauthorization Act, in the Violence Against Women section, are criminal penalties of up to two years in prison for posting annoying messages on web sites or sending annoying email messages. The section reads:
- "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."
http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance,+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.htmlIt'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.
So behave now, or else... :twisted: