A provision in an Arizona bill that riled Twitter and Facebook users for making it criminal to annoy or offend someone online has been dropped.
Legislators this week amended a proposal updating state harassment and stalking laws to include smartphones and cyber communication.
Free speech advocates and social media users say the statute as written could lead to people being criminally charged for comments permitted by the Constitution.
The bill’s focus is now on behavior intended to intimidate or threaten. It also states the law would not apply to constitutionally protected speech. Other changes include specifications that a threat be directed at a specific individuals or group.
Rep. Ted Vogt, the bill’s sponsor, previously said he would revise the plan after hearing from concerned supporters.
Rich posted at 3:47 pm on Thu, Apr 19, 2012.
Darn, with the 'annoying' standard in place we could arrest the entire legislature. Of course, ' behavior intended to intimidate or threaten' is their stock in trade, guess they want a monopoly. Let alone most of what they do is 'a threat ... directed at ... specific individuals or group.(sic)'
Juggernaut8000 posted at 4:03 pm on Thu, Apr 19, 2012.
Why don't people just get off those sites if the "annoying" is such a problem.
Grow up you idiots. Haven't you ever heard 'stick and stones will break my bones, but names will never harm me"?