No more trolling

**unicorn69** · 04-03-2012

Arizona bill could criminalize Internet trolling

Arizona bill could criminalize Internet trolling | Games Blog - Yahoo! Games

By Chris Morris | Plugged In – 4 hours ago

Arizona marches to the beat of its own drummer. But if that drummer gets upset and starts hollering on the Internet, he might get tossed in the clink.

After spending years targeting illegal aliens, the Grand Canyon State is turning its sights on obnoxious Internet users (commonly called 'trolls'). A new update to the state's telecommunications harassment bill could make the practice of harassing people online illegal.

Arizona House Bill 2549 has already passed both of the state's legislative bodies and is currently sitting on the desk of Governor Jan Brewer. While there's a lot in there that doesn't concern trolling, here's the line that has people worried:

It is unlawful for any person, with intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend, to use ANY ELECTRONIC OR DIGITAL DEVICE and use any obscene, lewd or profane language or suggest any lewd or lascivious act, or threaten to inflict physical harm to the person or property of any person.

Violators could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor and face up to 6 months in jail. If electronic devices are used to stalk someone, the charges then become a Class 3 felony, with penalties ranging from a minimum sentence of two and a half years in jail for non-dangerous offenders with no prior record to 25 years.

[Related: 'Bully' Director Slams MPAA for 'Great Hypocrisy']

At the heart of the bill is an anti-bullying agenda. Cyber-bullying has been on the rise in recent years and has been in the news lately. A 2010 report in The New York Times found that one of out five middle-school students said they had been victims of cyberbullying.

Despite its good intentions, the Arizona law is already being called "overly broad" by critics. By using vague terms like "annoy" and "offend," it could easily encompass Internet forums or even comments like the ones found at the end of this story.

Free speech groups say they don't believe the law would ever stand up to court scrutiny if Gov. Brewer does, in fact, sign it. And many have pointed out the flaws in the bill to the governor herself.

"Government may criminalize speech that rises to the level of harassment and many states have laws that do so, but this legislation takes a law meant to address irritating phone calls and applies it to communication on web sites, blogs, listserves and other Internet communication," Media Coalition wrote in a letter last week.

Inb4 no fucks given and no one cares.

**[MPGH]Doc** · 04-03-2012

Yeah right. Like that's ever going to work.

**Jigsaw** · 04-03-2012

Oh look it's your c+p threads again...

**Drtro** · 04-03-2012

Well there goes 80% of MPGH's oldphags.

Jk, this isn't Canada.

**HW$%yh5eh5ea5heheh5** · 04-03-2012

Taking away first amendment rights would go so good in the Supreme Court.

**Fayded** · 04-03-2012

see ya later mpgh staff.

**unicorn69** · 04-03-2012

Originally Posted by Jigsaw

Oh look it's your c+p threads again...

I put up 1 or 2 posts a day...

**Rigby** · 04-03-2012

But seriously, one does not simply end trolling, without destroying the internet and the first amendment.

**Wretched** · 04-03-2012

Fuck that.

**Azathᴏth** · 04-03-2012

Never going to pass.

**Lehsyrus** · 04-03-2012

That's what you all said about the NDAA. America is full of corrupt ****** ass bitches in power who enjoy fucking its people in the asshole. It'll most likely get passed, and it most likely will never go to the SC because they will rule in favor when Arizona's ****** ass representatives say "we are trying to prevent bullying" or some bullshit like that.

America is the shittiest country because it advertises "freedom" whereas all it really is, is a capitalistic society with people in power who act like supreme fascists with their Leninist attitudes. Fuck this country.