I caught this here today:”A new federal law states that when you annoy someone on the Internet, you must disclose your identity. 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.”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. 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.” [By Declan McCullagh, Published: January 9, 2006, 4:00 AM PST]
So all you anonymous people… use your real name and you won’t get in trouble.
definitely need to define annoy in the law. BUT the VAWA is a crucial legislation and now that the internet is used so frequetly by so many people, it can be and is definitely a vicious tool used by predators, batterers, or whatever you want to call those who exert power and control in whatever way they can. I know so many women who are or have been stalked, abused, vioalted through the internet.
Wow, Josh, you really research news.
Josh,
You annoy me every day, so now I have something to threaten you with!!!
What if you just made up an identity how to verify who you are, just radom thoughts. You can set up a dummy email address and use aka’s.
Are you sure this is from your Uncle Kevin? Just kidding. I swear it really is from me.