Absurd New Law

  • Thread starter Event
  • 36 comments
  • 1,327 views
Event

Event

Zoom-zoom
Premium
6,899
GTP_event / kevinr6287 (farming account)
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."
Click to expand...
Read more -----> http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-ann...3-6022491.html?part=rss&tag=6022491&subj=news

This is obsurd, I can see what this is trying to accomplish, but I mean come on, how can it be enforced?
 
So, if someone posts another annoying thread in the Opinions forum, I can have that person arrested?

Sweet.
 
Not me. I'm not governed by American laws.
Here's the key to this law's stupidity.
"What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."

"There are perfectly legitimate reasons to set up a Web site or write something incendiary without telling everyone exactly who you are."
 
*yells At Top Ofvoice* Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalallalmisssaigon Lalalalalalalalalalalalalallamisssaigonlalalalalalalalalalalal
 
No ****ing way, is this true? So I can call anyone here I want a shytehead, and if he's American and insults me back, I can have him arrested?

I agree with Viper Zero, sweet. For me, not for him. The law can't touch people outside US territory. Another unenforcable and idiotic law.

If it were true.
 
Wow, then they had better get to every single site that talks about religion and politics. Because someone will ALWAYS be annoyed. I sometimes get annoyed on this site. But I'm very much able to relax and put it all into perspective before I go into "forum-rage". The people that can't, simply shouldn't be online.
 
So now Team America is taking control of the internet? That would imply that we own the internet, right? Sounds like its just some bogus law that cannot be enforced but Im sure someone is sleeping easier at night because of it. Probably GW himself.
 
194GVan
So now Team America is taking control of the internet? That would imply that we own the internet, right? Sounds like its just some bogus law that cannot be enforced but Im sure someone is sleeping easier at night because of it. Probably GW himself.
Click to expand...
Well, actually, America does have control over the internet. There was some arguement about it not long back. Google pulled up this article.
 
One good thing about this is it may eliminate spam... or would it?

The problem of course, also, is people outside the US. How do you get accurate personal information on people who are not in any centralized database, with no credit history and no internet connection at home?

I have an internet connection at home, and at the office, plus a couple of dozen prepaid services (some dial-up, some DSL, some wireless) installed on my computer. I could post a terrorist threat from a prepaid wireless service, from a totally untraceable IP. Unless they attach our internet services to our social security numbers, I have no idea how this can be effectively enforced.

And then there's the point of what's annoying. It's my First Amendment right to say what I want. (Despite the previous comment, I'm still an American citizen)... If I say I believe Jesus was a doodie head, that would annoy the hell out of a lot of people... but it'd be my right to say that.

I doubt a carefully hidden addendum can cancel my constitutional rights. No law can be made legal if it goes against the consititution... can it?
 
live4speed
Not me. I'm not governed by American laws.
Click to expand...

As long as you post on this site, you are - or at least your messages here are.
 
niky
I doubt a carefully hidden addendum can cancel my constitutional rights. No law can be made legal if it goes against the consititution... can it?
Click to expand...

Tell that to american citizens being held for suspicion of terrorism.
 
I'm sure you actually have to be repeatedly annoying for this law to take effect. But of course, it's worded in such a clumsy fashion that it's just a piece of feel-good legislation at this point.

But honestly, wouldn't you like some satisfaction in getting someone caught who continuously phones you at home, at your work, your cellphone, sends nasty e-mails and text messages, won't stop bothering you via instant messaging, or even cripples the use of your computer or other wireless devices?

Although this is a bit extreme, I could see where eventually this nightmare scenario might really scare the crap out people who are being stalked.
 
Famine
As long as you post on this site, you are - or at least your messages here are.
Click to expand...
The site being hosted in America doesn't mean that the American government can send me a court summons, whatever I or anyone else in the UK posts on here, the American gevernment can't do a thing about it. Maybe my messages are technically under US law but whatever thoes messages contain, they still can't do anything about it unless I go to America. It's a stupid law thought up by a bunch of stupid people imo.
 
live4speed
The site being hosted in America doesn't mean that the American government can send me a court summons, whatever I or anyone else in the UK posts on here, the American gevernment can't do a thing about it. Maybe my messages are technically under US law but whatever thoes messages contain, they still can't do anything about it unless I go to America. It's a stupid law thought up by a bunch of stupid people imo.
Click to expand...

They could extradite us on the basis of mass annoyance :lol:

I'm sure it's just another way of trying to combat spam or mailing lists, not conflicts on forums.
 
live4speed
The site being hosted in America doesn't mean that the American government can send me a court summons, whatever I or anyone else in the UK posts on here, the American gevernment can't do a thing about it. Maybe my messages are technically under US law but whatever thoes messages contain, they still can't do anything about it unless I go to America. It's a stupid law thought up by a bunch of stupid people imo.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid they can. We really DO have an extradition agreement with the USA. If your messages on here are a serious enough breach of US law you could find yourself being sent there.

And in the case of new laws, they're always looking for a high-profile test case.
 
If that is so the case Famine (someone in the UK being sent to the US for court) can you give us an example of how it worked out? A good example of case law?
 
Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone - though I can think of several UK citizens who have been prosecuted under US law (including one, served, death penalty).
 
Famine
I'm afraid they can. We really DO have an extradition agreement with the USA. If your messages on here are a serious enough breach of US law you could find yourself being sent there.
Click to expand...
We need a gtplanet.co.uk then ;). I forgot completely about the extradition treatey, tbh I never really paid any attention to it, since we hear about it so infrequently. Still I doubt it would ever apply to this law since it requires us to say yes theres a big enough cause there, and the only things I can think of that could be taken as very serious are likely to never happen on this site. I mean someone discussing thier plans of planting bombs in the White house ect isn't going to posting them on a message board, besides that'd more than likely be classed as terrorism.
 
It doesn't even seem to say you have to annoy an american.
So, for example; if Famine criminally annoys PR, does Famine get extradited to the US?
What if I annoy ND4SPD?
 
Viper Zero
The same tax dollars the Liberals keep raising?

Yeah, those. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

You, sahr, annoy me-ah. Yew ah annoyin' me somethin' fierce! I'm ah gonna report yew to tha govermint!!!!

I didn't touch your taxes, man, don't blame me. :lol:
 
Spam in G-mail? Who cares? I hardly ever clean my inbox.

My Hotmail, though, is now kaputz.
 
Viper Zero
The same tax dollars the Liberals keep raising?
Yeah, those. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
You can't possibly think that this is a good law and not a waste of money. It's completely and totally idiotic and about as Constitutional as disallowing free speech. That coupled with the fact that, regardless of what anyone says, no one owns the internet, and therefore can not enforce laws on it.
 
Toronado
You can't possibly think that this is a good law and not a waste of money. It's completely and totally idiotic and about as Constitutional as disallowing free speech. That coupled with the fact that, regardless of what anyone says, no one owns the internet, and therefore can not enforce laws on it.
Click to expand...

"The internet" is governed by the laws in the country in which the servers containing that portion of it reside.

If you think that no-one owns the internet and laws cannot be enforced on it, try setting up a child porn site and see how long it takes the FBI to come through your front windows*.


*Note: DON'T try this. Obviously.
 

Similar threads

Sauc3
The reasons why Bush's government is corrupt
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
Solid Fro
Solid Fro

Latest Posts

Back