Should Faking a Name on Facebook Be a Felony?

[rambone]

Lying on the internet could soon be a Federal Felony. Use the wrong name, age, location on Facebook could get you on the hook for breaking 25-year-old Computer Fraud & Abuse laws. Congress wants to increase the punishments without narrowing the outdated law. The current law is so broad that you could be arrested for using someone's coffeemaker without permission.

Under its ambiguous wording, it could also soon be a felony to check your Facebook (or INGO) while you are at work.


Should Faking a Name on Facebook Be a Felony?

Imagine that President Obama could order the arrest of anyone who broke a promise on the Internet. So you could be jailed for lying about your age or weight on an Internet dating site. Or you could be sent to federal prison if your boss told you to work but you used the company's computer to check sports scores online. Imagine that Eric Holder's Justice Department urged Congress to raise penalties for violations, making them felonies allowing three years in jail for each broken promise. Fanciful, right? Think again. Congress is now poised to grant the Obama administration's wishes in the name of "cybersecurity."

Remarkably, the law doesn't even require devices to be connected to the Internet. Since 2008, it applies to pretty much everything with a microchip. So if you're visiting a friend and you use his coffeemaker without permission, watch out: You may have committed a federal crime.

 

[BDBHoover]

Anything in order for the states to make money...... seeing as for every person in jail/prison, that state is collecting money everyday they are in jail.....

 

[rambone]

Classic Ron Paul: "Computer surveillance seems appropriate for nineteen eighty-four" (1984)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G87jOx1VJ3o

 

[level.eleven]

Orin Kerr also posts over at Volokh for those interested.

The Volokh Conspiracy » My Wall Street Journal Op-Ed on the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

 

[rambone]

Everyone With an Online Dating Profile Could Soon Be a Felon

If that sounds far-fetched, consider a few recent cases. In 2009, the Justice Department prosecuted a woman for violating the “terms of service” of the social networking site MySpace.com. The woman had been part of a group that set up a MySpace profile using a fake picture. The feds charged her with conspiracy to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Prosecutors say the woman exceeded authorized access because MySpace required all profile information to be truthful. But people routinely misstate the truth in online profiles, about everything from their age to their name. What happens when each instance is a felony?

 

[scott delaney]

face book should be a felony!

 

[gunman41mag]

Well guman41mag isn't my birth name, Should i turn myself in

 

[indykid]

But it is ok for a congress person or the president to lie??? What is Barack Barry Hussein Soetoro Obama's real name?

 

[Farscape]

I hope there is an exemption for pseudonyms.

 

[Benny]

Mods, please change my name to Benjamin immediately.

I better get a new avatar as well, because I'm not Jesus Quintana or some random fat white guy(I'm a specific fat white guy).

 

[jbombelli]

Come get me.

 

[hornadylnl]

Who needs more gun control laws when you can manipulate current ones? Just make felon out of everyone.

 

[! twitty]

Just confirming yet again, that the feds have their hands in Facebook.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

 

[lovemachine]

My name is correct

 

[Pocketman]

Ummm... Every politician has a website with all kinds of campaign rhetoric, embellishments and misleading information. Tougher psyber laws could actually have some value.

 

[RockofStrength]

Of course, once this is implemented they'll be able to point out all these new cyber criminals as reason for additional government control of the internet...

 

[NYFelon]

Who needs more gun control laws when you can manipulate current ones? Just make felon out of everyone.

Hmmmm.....someone on here posted this before.

 

[revsaxon]

Thats just ridiculous. Whats next? An internet handle has to be your real name? Miss-spelling is a felony?

Were all going to be INFelons at this rate...

 

[joslar15]

But it's on the internet, therefore it's the truth. Just look at the flowchart!