Are you aware that it is a federal crime to harass someone on the internet and not reveal your true identity?
“In 2006, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.” Under federal law when you annoy someone on the Internet, you must disclose your identity.
It states
“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.”
Some argue that the law prevents freedom of speech. I don’t think it does and obviously the law doesn’t either.
Someone should not be able to use the internet to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass, someone anonymously and according to the law, they cannot.
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18 responses so far ↓
Wrote: Jun 9, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I like that the law addresses that it cannot be done anonymously. . . it is enough to deal with harassment when it is known.
I am playing catchup on reading as well, Leon was on vacation this week so my blog travels were spotty and sporadic. I am glad you will be able to do the ten interesting facts this week, I know they will be exactly that!.
Wrote: Jun 10, 2007 at 1:02 pm
With the anon remialers and IP hiders hosted in eastern europe ..it’s really hard to prosecute these jerks. But I agree they should be prosecuted.
Wrote: Jun 19, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I am having this problem right now and it’s pretty bad.
It’s been going on over a year now. and it gets worse.
It’s good to know there are recourses.
I am searching for those recourses now, when I came across this.
Thanks and if anyone has any suggestions, I would be forever in your debt.
—-====annoyed
Wrote: Oct 1, 2007 at 2:14 am
Greg I wish I had the answer for you. I’m sorry to hear that you are having to deal with harassment. I’m a victim of cyber- harassment too.
Wrote: Nov 19, 2007 at 2:26 am
There must be a way to stop online harassment, the story in the news today about the parents of a young girl who pretended to be a boy on myspace just to harass their daughter’s young neighbor… is an example of how the ‘anonymous’ internet is causing problems. I hope they prosecute to the parents and others start to enforce this law
Wrote: Jan 18, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I must be missing something because while someone shouldn’t be able to harrass you anonymously, it seems to me that they shouldn’t be allowed to harrass period. I belong to an online board powered by Invision where we have to former members who have been banned several times and yet who find ways around the banning and keep coming back to wreak havoc. We have this wonderful space but these two abusers seem to delight in causing harm. What in the world is the moderator of a board supposed to do in such a case. I’m researching right now in hopes of finding something.
Wrote: Mar 24, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Here’s an answer:
Leave the website. Delete annoying e-mails or ones from people you don’t know.
How’s about a little personal responsibility?
And it’s pretty interesting to define “anonymous”. Take for instance message boards…you have to register using a valid e-mail address, and if you don’t, no posting rights. So just because I don’t see your name pasted over every post, that makes it anonymous? Hardly.
Wrote: May 13, 2008 at 9:49 am
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the perpetrators could be caught and prosecuted? I have been enduring online harassment for over four months now, defaming my name on the internet and it has led to my changing my phone number, email and website. My family and friends have also been targeted and I have reported this abuse to numerous online resources as well as the police, who say they can’t do anything without a physical threat.
Although I believe there is a third party posing as me and instigating these attacks on my character, there certainly is one person involved whom I dated briefly. Even in knowing this, authorities have been unwilling to pursue what are blatant crimes of harassment, fraud and online abuse.
It is not a matter of simply “leaving the site”, I don’t participate in these ‘boards’, in fact this is the first time I have left a comment. These perps are posting as my friends, family and me. What do you do when this type of online activity could potentially affect your career and online identity when many of the ISP’s are claiming “freedom of speech?”….Angela R Buer
Wrote: May 16, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I was the target of a few attempts to harass me – via postings on Craigslist for a garage sale, listing all the items in my home and inviting strangers to my home. The other was a single’s site which was meant to have people call me at all hours of the day…and they did. The problem is that I had people pounding on my door at 8 am waking me and my four children…..and quite upset that there was no garage sale. I filed a report with the police and contacted the FBI who said there is no federal law on the books preventing people from doing this. Had one of my children been injured or threatened, then they could investigate. However, I noticed the law preventing internet harassment via annonymous persons. Would anyone happen to know the answer to this – my name was not posted on either of the sites…however my complete address and phone number were. The intent was clearly to harass me, but it ended up putting my children in harms way. Surely this law must cover me. Any input? Thanks in advance.
Wrote: May 16, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Yes you can do something about this. call the district attorneys office and talk to them. The new law on the books is real. you will have to do a lot of the legwork yourself(gather evidence,etc.) and present it to the DA. Since my harasser used the public library for her harassment and threats, she is in deep doo doo. my lawyer and the detective who has been helping us went to the library and they id’ed her and her vehicle. You also need to make sure you keep the Posting Id’s from Craigslist and then get a lawyer to subpoena craigslist for the users email and IP address. then take that to law enforcement. Its been an uphill battle but now its starting to pay off. Craigslist will be a lot of help once you get the subpoena. They have helped me a lot and still are.
Wrote: Jun 2, 2008 at 1:02 am
Guary, I’m sorry to hear after all this time she is still harassing you.
Wrote: Aug 6, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Can you direct me to the actual law/statute which Bush signed in 2006. I’m trying to find an actual link to that law on the internet. Thank you.
Wrote: Aug 12, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I seek further assistance in this matter because school will be starting soon. My daughter is in the same class as the perpetrator and this girl tried to verbally intimidate my daughter yesterday.
Wrote: Aug 12, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Here’s a site with the law:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode47/usc_sec_47_00000223—-000-.html
Wrote: Aug 19, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Yes call the FBI and file a complaint. I did against my attacker Angela Buer. A woman I briefly dated who has been attacking me and my family and friends for almost a year now. The FBI will listen especially if the perp has a record of criminal mischief like my attacker does in Arizona and now California. Make sure you also file a polcie report and call the police for each incident.
Wrote: Aug 19, 2008 at 10:31 pm
this creep found me online and we started chatting. now he wont leave me alone and he threatens to hack into my computer. i feel personally violated. do you think he could be legitimate?
Wrote: Aug 26, 2008 at 4:53 pm
It is possible if the user is internet savvy enough. I suggest you download a spyware remover tool, install a firewall(if you use windows there is one inside the software already) and clean out your cache(internet options-tools). It sounds like an empty threat from what you have said so far. But I would take precautions anyway. You never know about people sometimes and many can’t seem to let go once you make it clear you want nothing to do with them. I hope that helps you.
Wrote: Aug 30, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Is there a deadline to file complaints for internet threats according to this federal law?