Congressional Rep Wants To Put Internet Trolls In Jail
from the well,-that's-an-idea dept
Last year, the lawsuit against Lori Drew got plenty of attention. It involved the sad story of a girl, Megan Meier, who ended up killing herself after a "friend" she met on MySpace ended their friendship in a rather rude fashion. It later turned out that the "friend" wasn't a real person, but a made up individual, created by a former friend of the girl, that girl's mother (Lori) and an employee of Lori created the person (they claim) as a way of finding out what Meghan was saying about Lori's daughter. The whole story is quite sad, obviously, and suggests incredibly poor judgment on Lori's part. However, was it illegal? The initial analysis was not at all. However, prosecutors then twisted computer hacking laws to charge her, and she was eventually found guilty of misdemeanor computer hacking for creating a fake person on MySpace. This ruling was troubling for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it's now quite easy to make anyone a criminal via terms of service. Also, the fact that it actually is likely to put more kids at risk.That particular case was distorted by a few issues, involving the fact that Lori was an adult while Meghan was a child. If the MySpace friend "Josh" had been a real teen, would the same outrage have happened? I had a friend in high school kill himself after his girlfriend dumped him. Should she have been charged with a crime?
However, with emotional cases, come bad legal precedents and bad laws. Missouri (where this happened) already rushed through an "online harassment" law, and now it looks like we may get the federal equivalent. Rep. Linda Sanchez has introduced a cyberbullying law (named after Meier) that could put people in jail for up to two years for online communications "with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person... to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior."
Yes, this effectively makes online trolling a crime. It's difficult to see how this gets past even the most basic First Amendment review, but that won't stop politicians from grandstanding over it.
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Filed Under: cyberbullying, felony, lori drew, megan meier, trolls
Reader Comments
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Does this mean no more Weird Harold?
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Give me liberty of give me death
Bullying is not Trolling, there is a big difference and these pea brained politicians and prosecutors will be schooled by the Constitution, then should be run out of office.
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Laws should not be this subjective
I wonder if doing this in person is any different. If not, there is every likelihood that the Mormons will go to prison for their Prop-8 propaganda hate-crimes.
Now THIS... THIS is trolling! :)
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Re: Laws should not be this subjective
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Re: Laws should not be this subjective
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Whatever keeps the highways moving and uncongested.
/sarcasm
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Whatever keeps the highways moving and uncongested.
/sarcasm
Me too,
/not sarcasm
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Good luck with that
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Re: Good luck with that
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Re: Good luck with that
Megan's father should have payed that cunt Lori a visit and put an end to her/it then and there.
more people should handle their problems the way we do it here in Texas, don't have much use for lawyers and all the BS that goes with them.
it is a terrible terrible shame that Megan thought that she only had one way to deal with any problem, it's horrible when a child dies...and that cunt Lori probably doesn't even give it a second thought.
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Re: Re: Good luck with that
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See, that has become the problem with US law. We've all turned into a bunch of pansies. FEELINGS should have nothign to DO with the law, for christ's sake. There is illegal, and there is not illegal.
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I would think it would have been better trying to inform everyone possible of what her phone number, home address, email addresses are so she can constantly get hate mail and calls from people all over the world telling her what they think about her.
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if megan was my daughter she would have been raised from birth to know that anyone online that you haven't met in real life is either a fed, a corporate shill, a stalker, a criminal or a bot.
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...or just a garden variety a$$hole...
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Re:
Let's try reading again. I said it was terrible what she did, but that doesn't mean she broke the law... and no matter how terrible what she did may have been, twisting an entirely different law around is hugely problematic.
Besides, there's no definite link between Drew (who didn't even write the messages in question!) and Megan's decision to kill herself.
People kill themselves all the time -- and yes, it's quite tragic. But do you really want to lock up anyone who was mean to someone who killed themselves? And do you really want to twist the laws to make that possible?
Making it an emotional argument "what if it was your kid" is really troubling. If it were my kid, I'd be absolutely devastated. But I wouldn't want to send everyone who was mean to my kid to jail.
Do you not see the trouble of charging someone with a crime for the actions of someone else?
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Re: Re:
For those who discuss "feelings" get ready to get pissed with my reply.
Because, I don't see this as tragic. If anything, I wish more people would take this approach.
Why? I guess many of you haven't been surrounded by this type of person. I'm not talking about those who seek help and turn their lives around.
I'm talking about people like Megan, who obviously didn't care to apply herself despite the help offered.
And while my statement may seem mean, I dare a single one of you to try and convince me you can change the mind of someone who isn't going to listen.
Hell, the comments on this very site should be clear enough proof for you.
She's gone. Boo freaking hoo. Life moves on to those who do want help to change their lives, and can be evident by seeing them in counseling rather than looking for "help" on an online website.
Good riddance, Megan. Thanks to you, you're causing more problems for the rest of us.
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Beyond that, it seems to make a lot of claims about which you know nothing. Unless you knew Meghan personally, that is.
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Lame-ink-seeker
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;)
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Re:
prison rape is no laughing matter.
unless it happens to a clown. then it's hilarious.
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Would it have been different in the "guy" had really been a teen and not an adult's women out to intentionally mislead a teenage girl? I'm only guessing, but I suspect the outcome would have been different. Though maybe not: if the guilty or not guilty verdict were based solely on emotional impact, it might still have come out the same.
Also...two years seems a little steep for someone dropping by a blog and leaving a stupid reply (troll).
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Re:
The only law that needs to be enacted is the "Tgeigs says stop being a bunch of easily upset emotional vaginas Act of 2009". I can go into further details if you like, but it basically says that just because someone says something you don't like doesn't mean you have to pay any attention to it, regardless of the forum.
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We can't imprison people just because they are assholes and we don't like them.
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no but we can beat the bloody hell out of them!!!!
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absolutely.
the internet destroyed our humanity years ago.
want proof? browse 4chan.org for ten minutes. the internet isn't safe for decent people. they would be better off doing something... anything... else.
Perhaps the ultimate laws that charged Lori were "twisted", but justice was done in the end.
no, it wasn't. megan is dead because her parents didn't teach her how to protect herself online. internet mob justice would have seen to it that lori drew's life was ruined without any help from the law. and if that failed there is always the great american past time: the civil suit.
using the law in this way is reprehensible, not because it is wrong, but because it is an absolute waste of time and resources. lori drew got busted, and these laws might stop a couple of people in the beginning, but then the real trouble will start.
The ultimate problem is that we don't have enough laws (very clearly defined) regulating the internet. If someone wants to harass someone online they should have the guts to say who they are, and the person being harassed should be able to obtain their information to defend themselves.
no, the ultimate problem is that people are painfully ignorant about just how dangerous the internet is. it's way more dangerous than the real world and it's way harder to protect yourself. no amount of laws will prevent that. idiots like megan's parents need to take some responsibility for themselves and their children.
if someone the sufficient skill and motivation wants you to suffer, you WILL suffer. there is no force on earth that can prevent that. all the law will do produce unintended consequences.
In any event, we are lacking some serious laws online. People can disparage others online, post false information or shocking pictures and hide behind anonymity while taking no responsibility for the ultimate outcome to someone's reputation - or in this case emotional distress which led to suicide.
you have no idea how the internet works or how the people that use it operate, do you? censorship and regulation will always be circumvented. always. so go ahead and endorse a bunch of laws, but they will do you no good.
we passed a bunch of laws against spam, how's that working out for you? all it did was drive the spammers further underground, making it even harder for service providers to fight them. good job congress!
the chinese can't contain the internet and they have the resources and motivation to do so, what makes you think the federal government has any chance of success?
laws against bullying will not work. they will waste taxpayer funds and deliver absolutely no results other than inconveniences to legitimate users, and maybe a re-election.
i guarantee you the only "bullies" caught and punished with this law will be some grandmothers and a couple of 10 year olds who are victims of unintended consequences.
We have a long way to go in regulating people's privacy and conduct online, but the Cyberbullying Law is certainly a start.
regulating anything on the internet is physically impossible. it simply cannot be done.
for every step that you take and every measure that you implement if it doesn't fail on it's own, there WILL be a workaround within minutes. that is a mathematical certainty.
the government can't even protect it's own secrets from the chinese, what on earth makes you think they can protect you or your children from bullies?
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Sorry for the length
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talk about stupid... if you kill yourself over some words on your myspace then the world is better off with you~
thin the heard too many sheeps in this country!
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Do you also believe that every legal action is good? No, you fucking don't.
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wtf?
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Re: wtf?
Wanna go out sometime? (Answer carefully now) :)
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stupid politicians
LOL
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Cyber Bullying my A$$
I am so sick of this "for the childrens" bullshit.
As a kid, I was tormented verbally and physically. I used to make myself throw up so I didn't have to go to school and face it. But I survived, I didn't kill myself or blow up my school or kill the offenders.
Hell, I've read the First Amendment up and down and nowhere does it say I have to give a crap about your tender little feelings.
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Re:
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We need to get REAL
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Probably an Over-Reaction
HOWEVER: This law is as ill-conceived as the majority of the "cyber" laws that come out in reaction to various over-blown incidents. It's over-broad and would almost certainly have a chilling effect on free speech.
The really stupid thing is this: Why the hell is there any need for a law that forbids this kind of behaviour >online
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Forum troll is pleased.
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Solution
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EVERYONE KILL YOURSELF IN THE NAME OF THE EARTH
/ NOT SARCASTIC
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Politicians make me puke
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Cyberbullying... Get a Life
This person is a technical "GENIUS" and is able to tape into my home appliances, my car radio, and he has followed me to all of the jobs that I have over the last 3 years. He has obtained my email address and he has sent out photos of me to my employers. I have been to questioned by me employers regarding my after 5 activies and why I could not get to work on time. He is on this computer right now. And if this message does not get to you I will know why.
And to those of you that have stated this is NOT a crime. You have not been a victim of this such childish schoolyard behaviour. The person or person(s) doing this should themselves go through it. What one sees as innocent fun others see has not so funny and it does hurt and harm. Megan killed herself. And she was only a child of 13. And a grown person with children of their own should not be going aroung bullying someone. Group yourself. As in the words of the song by Michael Jackson "THE MAN IN THE MIRROR" Check yourself first, before you (1) sign on the a computer, (2) script some negative words and (3)press send. As and adult you had 3 opportunities to say NO, I am not going to do this what if someone did this to my child.
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hmm
Sometimes I troll, I admit it.
But a lot of times I get banned even when I'm not really trolling.
this would be a stupid law because you're going to fill up the prisons with a lot of people who did nothing more than offend some stuck up prick on the internet.
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Yeah um..... Calling people names is not trolling/bullying? Before you call people trolls & names may wanna look at your comment/comments as well. That's just horrible to call people any name. If you don't know what it really means then don't use it online. You know nothing about people online. Trolls also will say stuff like you posted. So watch what you type. I know some comments maybe and are hateful those people are have no life or heart then just ignore those types they just show all people online they have no respect for themself if they did they would show respect for the teen girl who killed herself over this.
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The more humans that kill themselves the better the Earth will be!
EVERYONE KILL YOURSELF IN THE NAME OF THE EARTH
/ NOT SARCASTIC
Your comments..... You should be proud of yourself for such foolish/downright disgusting comments on here. How old are you 12? You should know better.If people looked you up & found out who you were you could be reported. I find your comments to be sick.
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Don't put the ......
du bist doof" or "du bist blöd trolls in jail !!!!!!!!! They belong in a big hospitial ! And let people deal with them. There are people out there who would love too deal with trolls !!!!!!!!!!!!! They are a waste & waste of tax payers money. If they can't play nice put them in a mental hospitial. If they never been & Seen one they'll think twice !!!!!!!!!!! Esp. the younger one's out there ! I do think they are a big waste of society. Alot of people do so. All should not be in jails anyway they are crowded already. There are other ways of handling these twisted mind freaks.
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Trolls are mentally ill people. They are incapable of functioning inside
normal societal parameters, so consequently, they have no friends or
familial contacts. The absence of friends and family forces the troll to
rely on other mechanisms for recognition and human contact. The most common
tactics for trolls are making accusations which can't be disproved,
spoofing, or deliberately misinterpreting or misrepresenting a legit group
participant's point of view. (although it should be noted that trolls have a
vast knowledge of harassment techniques and have been known to devote huge
quantities of time to their obsessions). If you find yourself targeted by a
troll, you can be quite sure that you're not the first one. Other newsgroup
visitors will recognize these baseless accusations and treat them
accordingly. Trolls often resort to name calling and making disparaging
remarks about you in their signatures. While this behavior can be irritating
to the victim of a troll, it's actually a clear indication of the level of
intimidation that you inflict on the troll. You should also know that the
other newsgroup visitors are not stupid. They know that trolls are here to
acquire some sense of belonging, and their efforts are solely dedicated to
that end. You should feel under no obligation to defend yourself. Even
newsgroup visitors of modest mental capacities will recognize the troll for
what he/she/it is in time. Longtime visitors who are serious participants
will have killfiled the troll long ago, and new visitors will quickly tire
of the troll's antics. To be clear, trolls are completely and utterly
harmless. They hold no real sway over the newsgroup's opinion of you. Treat
them the same way you would an irritating sound.
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Right On ! Love the statement.
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Cyberbully's Being Jailed
Ignorance like this is why nobody trusts newspapers or media in any way anymore. For obvious reasons, I will have to put this in terms that a 5 year old can understand:
If you act like a bad person and put yourself in someone else's life, teasing them, making fun of them, harrassing them, hitting them, punching them, enticing others to do the same, etc. and the person you are doing this to doesn't beat the crap out of you but lowers their head and cries or hides, you are a BULLY. If you keep this behavior up on any kind of a regular basis (for the author of this article - regular means on a consistent level, one after the other, over and over again) and this causes such emotional conflict as to make this person want to harm themselves rather than have to deal with you - THEN your stupid butt will go to jail. You will become a member of the "I no longer own my own rectum" committee and you will deserve every ounce of the punishment that you get.
This isn't an emotional issue. It's someone finally taking a stand against people who think they can do whatever they want and there will be no consequences. If schools would create anti-bullying policies that took away class credits if you are found guilty, then students would think twice about having to repeat a year of school for this kind of behavior and it would stop. Unless someone makes an example out of these hideous excuses for humans, then it's just going to continue over and over and over again.
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by Anonymous Coward
" I had a friend in high school kill himself after his girlfriend dumped him. Should she have been charged with a crime?"
LOL
No ! I don't find that funny. It's disgusting actually ! You are posting about your friend on here & Just made yourself look really bad & like a troll. By the way you are not a very good friend then if you laugh at something like that. Are you that twisted & evil as lori drew is? god ! Some people need to seek mental health. Esp. trolls. And this is totally different. This is an adult who was talking to a underage person pretending to be a teen themself. So you and a few others have no idea what you are really asking or talking about. Death is no laughing matter. Would you like for someone to laugh at you or a family member etc. When one is gone? I doubt it. We all gotta go sometime. Death is no joke. Esp. somebody who killed themself is no laughing matter. I had buddies/family who killed themself over things. Because these people also need some sort of help themself. You need help. Ten times more of it.
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Unknown Troll
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by Stenoslouch
Get a life besides trolling the net !
Anyway please check out this video ! Internet Bridge Troll collegehumor on youtube. It is kinda funny. Sorta also tells some of the truth behind trolls also.
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Go Away Troll
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Computerworld has this great article on dealing with trolls and cyberstalkers. It cites some great advice (5 ways) to defeat those nasty trolls but here’s my take.
Remember your Miranda rights
Particularly the portion “whatever you say or do may be used against you.” While no one’s actually under arrest, it pertains to you. The Web’s an open space where anything you put online gets associated to you. Trolls can be really nitpicky. They can use anything and everything you post against you. So be responsible for whatever you post online.
Know the troll
Spamming troll: Posts to many newsgroups with the same verbatim post.
Kooks: A regular member of a forum who habitually drops comments that have no basis on the topic or even in reality.
Flamer: Does not contribute to the group except by making inflammatory comments.
Hit-and-runner: Stops in, make one or two posts and move on.
Psycho trolls: Has a psychological need to feel good by making others feel bad.
I’ll add one:
Grammar/Info Nazis: Those people who just can’t live without pointing out your inadequacies like grammar lapses. While corrections are much appreciated, these trolls make sure to make you look stupid.
“Don’t feed the troll” (DFTT)
Simple and surefire rule. Trolling is a cycle. Fight fire with fire and you’ll surely have a maelstrom of nasty comments swirling here and there. Trolls feed on your reactions. Giving them less reactions to feed on may cull the matter quickly.
Put comments under moderation
If you run a blog, try to hold comments under moderation. This way you can approve or disapprove of inappropriate comments before they show up for the general public to read. A word of caution though, take valid criticism as they are. Don’t be overly sensitive to mark those with sound arguments as troll comments just because they go against what you stood for. Debate is healthy.
Ban them
If you have persistent trolls, you might just want to block their names, e-mail addresses, or IP addresses. This way they will not be able to wreck havoc as they please. Engines like WordPress allows you to only allow comments from sources whose comments you’ve previously approved.
Monitor troll activity
Being vigilant is always a great thing to do. Don’ just delete their comments in an instant, you may want to save copies of them as evidence just in case things can get really mucky. Keep track of the post, the username, the IP address, timestamp and relevant posting details of the matter. One time, in a mailing list, we found out that a troll was actually a member’s vengeful ex by cross-checking IP records with previous e-mails to that member
Since you got a troll posting everyone is a troll. Which by the way I gotta say to them right now . People who is posting stuff on trolls and real information on them is those who stop trolls there is a huge difference between trolls and troll stoppers hun. Here's what they want they want to try and start a fight/flame this site with stupid and immature first grade stuff. Trolls will say troll stoppers are the trolls. Really they are not by far the one who's a troll is the one like by stenoslouch. I don't that was a threat either. I think when people say would you like to go to jail? It means they are telling you to stop. If you don't. Then you will be reported for trolling as well as harassment. Which could send you to jail. Alot of people do report and tell trolls even ask them if they'ed like to be locked up. We should. It puts the fear of god in some. They need to learn you don't go around flaming and starting fights with total strangers especially troll stoppers.
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damn what a bunch of idiots here, meant to be a place for people to ask questions and talk about that shit but as soon as you do all these fagot irc trolls talk shit
True !!!!!!!!!!!!
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The problem is where do you draw the line. You can be considered a troll and should be locked up for two years. It deeply angers me that you are willing to toss out reason and logical thinking to imprison people you DON'T LIKE.
We can't imprison people just because they are assholes and we don't like them.
Not all trolls are just a -holes. All though I agree just a tiny bit in some things you posted up. But most trolls are mentally ill people . Half the world does not like these trolls. Even law enforcement don't. Because some trolls can become major threats to society believe it or not.So they are just not any old a-hole you'll run across on things. They are very unstable people. And if they draw the line to become a threat then they need locked up. If they don't start blocking them . If that don't help they'll just have everyone know they are a troll and hate them. Few trolls get tired and will leave. Those that don't. Then there's ways to make them leave. (no threats)Toss them off the post or chat. After so much of tossing them and blocking. They'll get tired of it hopefully. Those who don't then we need to take a stand and let them know and stop being scared of someone on the internet that could be a thousand miles away . That goes for everyone.
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sordidguy: These 2 sluts should die.
Those sluts you talking about right there are my 2 teen daughters and they aren’t sluts idiot.
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