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Bush Makes It A Crime To Annoy People Online
Posted by Pile
(10296 views)      [E-Mail link]
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| 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. As is the norm these days, this nasty law was snuck into another piece of legislation (Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act) at the last minute and approved by Congress. |
It's particularly insideous how the law is so abstract, making reference to sections in other laws, replacing words here and there, so that when reading the new bill, it's impossible to tell what this new legislation actually does unless you have the old law in hand.
Relevant section:
SEC. 113. PREVENTING CYBERSTALKING.
(a) In General- Paragraph (1) of section 223(h) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 223(h)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking `and' at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting `; and'; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
`(C) in the case of subparagraph (C) of subsection (a)(1), includes 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 (as such term is defined in section 1104 of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (47 U.S.C. 151 note)).'.
(b) Rule of Construction- This section and the amendment made by this section may not be construed to affect the meaning given the term `telecommunications device' in section 223(h)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934, as in effect before the date of the enactment of this section.
This section modifies the current telephone harassment law.
Apparently the First Amendment goes out the window if someone finds your free speech "annoying." |
Actual Bill
Bush signs bill into law
CNet Commentary |
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Oh, man, is this site in trouble
Posted by wizeGurl on 2006-01-09 13:14:40 | That's just what we need--more vague laws that can be prosecuted selectively by those in power.
Watch out next for a law against annoying anyone by breathing. |
anonymously anonymous
Posted by anonymous on 2006-01-10 12:28:02 | Wait, what?
shoot |
| Posted by anonymous on 2006-01-10 12:29:35 | | haha, i'm a annoying |
| Posted by anonymous on 2006-01-10 12:31:15 | | weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee |
| Posted by Stu on 2006-01-10 15:25:56 | | This law is TOTALLY ABSURD...and should be done away with. WTF is wrong with congress. They let this retarded thing pass? LOL |
Keeping the B.S. in BuSh
Posted by Anonymous on 2006-01-13 23:36:20 | | What prompted this asinine abstraction? Who is being protected from WHAT exactly? What criteria must be met to be considered 'annoying'? Why are we seeing 'Trojan' abstract laws being inserted into seemingly more legitimate ones? |
| Posted by wizeGurl on 2006-01-14 20:56:55 | | We're seeing "Trojan" riders being inserted into larger, much more necessary laws because it's the only way they will pass--if they are one of 234 little "extras" tacked on to a bill to pay for the military or keep the FAA funded. To vote down the tiny, absurd bill that no one could vote for by itself means voting against something everyone wants, and you can bet it would be used against anyone who voted against it. ("Senator Nopork voted against funding our troops...why?") For example, a bill to open up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to drilling hasn't been able to pass by itself, so it keeps being tacked on to larger bills in hopes of sneaking it past. That one is so controversial it keeps being noticed and removed, but the congress can't keep up with every one of thousands of additions to larger bills. |
| Posted by Anonymous on 2007-01-09 11:11:27 | | I guess congress fell for those "Hello, I am a Nubian Prince" emails one too many times. |
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