What First Amendment?


The Staff Writers at Ravenwood's Universe are now violating federal law. We post anonymous content that annoys the left under a pseudonym. According to CNet, that's now illegal.

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.

In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name.

Via Say Uncle.

UPDATE: Then again, maybe it's all overblown.


Comments

Orin Kerr at the Volokh Conspiracy argues this is poor interpretation of the law. I guess without being a constitutional lawyer, you pretty much have to take the word of the writer, until someone with a clue tells you otherwise.

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2006_01_08-2006_01_14.shtml#1136873535

Posted by: Nylarthotep at January 10, 2006 7:33 AM

The trouble is, that "poor interpretation of the law" looks plausible enough that some halfwitted lower-court judge will let a case go forward, and someone will wind up with about $100K in legal fees before there's a higher court ruling. Hopefully, it will be the ACLU...

Posted by: markm at January 10, 2006 8:49 AM

It's good to know that our first amendment rights are protected, at least according to the Volokh Conspiracy.

Posted by: Lornkanaga at January 10, 2006 11:09 AM

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