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Important legal decision for USA members

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  • http://news.excite.com/te[...]ap.html


    "May 17, 3:34 AM (ET)

    By ANICK JESDANUN

    NEW YORK (AP) - Think twice before you sign up for an online service using a fake name or e-mail address. You could be committing a federal crime.

    Federal prosecutors turned to a novel interpretation of computer hacking law to indict a Missouri mother on charges connected to the suicide of a 13-year-old MySpace user.

    Prosecutors alleged that by helping create a MySpace account in the name of someone who didn't exist, Lori Drew, 49, violated the News Corp. (NWS)-owned site's terms of service and thus illegally accessed protected computers.

    Legal experts warned Friday that such an interpretation could criminalize routine behavior on the Internet. After all, people regularly create accounts or post information under aliases for many legitimate reasons, including parody, spam avoidance and a desire to maintain their anonymity or privacy online or that of a child. This new interpretation also gives a business contract the force of a law: Violations of a Web site's user agreement could now lead to criminal sanction, not just civil lawsuits or ejection from a site...Drew's lawyer, Dean Steward, said Thursday a legal challenge to the charges is planned."

    In short, almost every one of you in the United States has already broken the law, according to this report. The result could potentially be the choice of outing yourself on the Internet or not having access to the information we all needed so much about TG/TS issues. In fact, since the servers are in the US, will the US be demanding extradition of UK T-girls for prosecution and incarceration in Federal Prisons?

    Frankly, I see an ACLU case coming here. I can't see this interpretation being upheld in the US Supreme Court. Still, we have to give our correct name for library cards. Could access to knowledge be made to legally require you identify yourself to obtain it? Bush's Boys are at it again, trying to invade our privacy and reduce our rights. Yet another reason to not vote Republican. If you make anti-government statements, they will know whose door to knock on in the middle of the night. No not today.....but it could happen down the line if we don't draw the line here.

    "A live lived in fear is a life half-lived." - Native American proverb. "Inside every man is a woman who was drowned in testosterone before birth". - Wendy Jeanette Larsen "It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you're not." - Andre Gide (French writer)
      May 18, 2008 8:26 AM BST
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    Drew, of O'Fallon, Mo., was indicted Thursday on charges of perpetrating a hoax on the popular online hangout MySpace. Prosecutors say Drew helped create a fake MySpace account to convince Megan Meier she was chatting with a nonexistent 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006, allegedly after receiving a dozen or more cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her.

    Drew, who has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress on the girl.

    <p>Karen Brad</p>
      May 18, 2008 11:43 AM BST
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    Wendy
    2 points here.
    1 She violated the aggreement when she registered.
    So be sure to read before checking the box.
    Myspace serves many teens if they go after predators using any wepon they can I can live with that.
    2 She was in her 40's & going after a 13yr old girl by pretending to be a 16yr old boy.
    A person like that belongs in jail.
    <p>Karen Brad</p>
      May 18, 2008 11:56 AM BST
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