US Lawmakers and Cyber Bullying

It seems that cyberbullying legislation is going to take a while to move through the US. Wired has a story today on the bill that proposes to target “Serious, repeated hostile communications made with the intent to harm“. This seems to be a noble cause, but obviously it can not be that simple. The case that spawned this law was the suicide of a 13 year old after being bullied by a 51 year old saw the 51 year old originally convicted based on violating the TOS of the website that the two individuals used. It was overturned as it would open up holes for others to be prosecuted for violating TOS agreements.

I find myself in a strange position, I want there to be some way to protect people against cyberbullying, but I hate the “e/d/i-ification” of everything. Why should cyberbullying be any different than other forms in the eyes of the law? Why should it apply only to “targets” who are defined as youth? So while the bill does look to make the existing laws “aware” of cyberbullying and the tools involved, it might also go a bit far. I find myself agreeing with a Republican that the way the bill in question sits, it smells of over-criminalization. How and where can the line be drawn between criticism and bullying?

Hopefully they can work something out and it can be used in other countries as an model to help protect everyone, not only children from being bullied online.


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