U.S. Department of Justice wants to lock you up for lying on the internet

[NoStateofMind]

The Verge

CNET is reporting that the U.S. Department of Justice will make a statement to Congress tomorrow supporting a controversial component of a computer hacking law that makes breaking the rules on websites like Facebook and YouTube a felony. The problem is with a specific section of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act dealing with the use of computers to "exceed authorized access" of websites — the DOJ thinks that a website's terms of service agreement determines what's "authorized." Critics say that the DOJ's interpretation vastly oversteps the original purpose of the law, which was intended to nab hackers and thieves, by making it a crime for a person to violate a website's often dense and obtuse terms of service agreement — which means that doing something like using a fake name on Facebook could land you a conviction. Opponents like the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation say that the law effectively equips private corporations with the power to make federal law with their terms of service.

The law was already used earlier this year to convict a woman who used a fake MySpace account to harass a 13-year-old teenage neighbor (who later committed suicide), and while the conviction was thrown out, it serves as evidence that the DOJ is willing to use the law to convict individuals for TOS violations. Watch your back, Salman Rushdie.

Yeah....

This is stupid IMO. Incorrect information on facebook = Felony? There HAS TO BE more important things to work on....right?

 

[shabby]

Stated age = real age?

 

[Nebor]

Sounds like good law enforcement. Should take care of people posting inappropriate things on facebook.

 

[JEDIYoda]

law enforcement sounds like good!!!
facebook posting inappropriate people things on care should take.

 

[bfdd]

lol... if we only held government to the same standard.

 

[woolfe9999]

Sounds like good law enforcement. Should take care of people posting inappropriate things on facebook.

If you put everyone who made false statements on social networking sites in jail, we'd have to build about 100 new prisons.

 

[CrackRabbit]

law enforcement sounds like good!!!
facebook posting inappropriate people things on care should take.

You forgot "In Soviet Russia..."

 

[Nebor]

If you put everyone who made false statements on social networking sites in jail, we'd have to build about 100 new prisons.

Do you have any idea how many people the criminal justice system currently employs? So this doubles as a jobs stimulus. Though really, once people see a few others going to jail on the news, they'll stop breaking the law.

 

[cubby1223]

It's the parents buying ice cream counter-argument all over again.

 

[guyver01]

Make is valid for all websites, and a certain poster will find themselves in jail for 50 years for posts in this thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2126754

 

[dmcowen674]

U.S. Department of Justice wants to lock you up for lying on the internet

About time all the liars on here get put away.

 

[Craig234]

Overreach. Free speech.

 

[RightIsWrong]

I hope that whomever hosts all of the presidential, senatorial and congressional candidates' websites has a policy regarding lying instituted.

What's that sir/madame? You are promising to do what when you get into office? You're claiming that your oppenent's record states what again?

 

[Kadarin]

Overreach. Free speech.

Yes. But the question is, will the Supreme Court actually bother to uphold the Constitution? The cynic in me says that the witchhunt against "hackers" and "bullying" will take precedence.

 

[Double Trouble]

Wow, talk about an insane overreach.

 

[mchammer187]

Do you have any idea how many people the criminal justice system currently employs? So this doubles as a jobs stimulus. Though really, once people see a few others going to jail on the news, they'll stop breaking the law.

This is like effectively employing people to blow perfectly good things. It is a net drain on resources that would be otherwise better spent. Like the war on drugs for example.

 

[Nebor]

This is like effectively employing people to blow perfectly good things up for free. It is a net drain on resources that would be otherwise better spent. Like the war on drugs for example.

So you hate glass makers AND the criminal justice system eh?

 

[Craig234]

Yes. But the question is, will the Supreme Court actually bother to uphold the Constitution? The cynic in me says that the witchhunt against "hackers" and "bullying" will take precedence.

The radical right or the moderates? The 'corporations can do no wrong' side is pretty suspect to support them on this.

 

[CrackRabbit]

About time all the liars on here get put away.

The ironing is delicious.

 

[JSt0rm]

spidey better look out the fed will be after him.

 

[gevorg]

Its just a matter of time until internet will become heavily regulated, controlled and manipulated. Anonymity will become history for 99.9% of internet users.

Enjoy it while you can, so you can tell great stories to your grand kids.

 

[JSt0rm]

Its just a matter of time until internet will become heavily regulated, controlled and manipulated. Anonymity will become history for 99.9% of internet users.

Enjoy it while you can, so you can tell great stories to your grand kids.

The wild west went away too.

 

[Atreus21]

If you put everyone who made false statements on social networking sites in jail, we'd have to build about 100 new prisons.

Yeah, 90% of the female component of OKCupid alone would have their ugly asses thrown in jail.

 

[Nebor]

The wild west went away too.

Are you saying we're like cowboys? Because I have some fantasies that would play well with that.

 

[davmat787]

Are you saying we're like cowboys? Because I have some fantasies that would play well with that.

Nebor to star in Brokeback Mountain 2: Legend of the Chaps?