US Congress Passes Law That Sharply Curtails Free Speech On the Internet

[mandy]

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."

...It rewrites existing telephone harassment law to prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy."

full article: http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyanc...22491.html

[amy]

Wishful thinking by politicians and big business, but this law violates the first amendment and goes against several supreme court decisions.  It will get shot down the first time its challenged in court.

[xppman]

[quote author=amy link=topic=2102.msg7386#msg7386 date=1136904862]
Wishful thinking by politicians and big business, but this law violates the first amendment and goes against several supreme court decisions.  It will get shot down the first time its challenged in court.
[/quote]

Yes it will.

But it will make for a GREAT New Prime Time TV Dramma...


LAW AND ORDER
Message Board Unit

[xppman]

Think about it. If it where to fly...
The first 25 years of cases to be heard would be from
"annoyance posters" at feebay's boards.

[bargainbloodhound]

...and another 25 years of court cases over annoying feedback comments left by people not using their real name.  :twistedevil:

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So...if someone posts 'good morning' before I've had my first cup of coffee can I file an annoyance complaint?

[dnc_ont]

So...if someone posts 'good morning' before I've had my first cup of coffee can I file an annoyance complaint?

Absolutely.  That should also be a valid defence for murder as well, IMHO.