Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Internet pestering a crime

<A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6024695.html?tag=zdnn.alert">Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.</A> 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. 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.

News Timeline



From Our Sponsor