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Tina Meier holds two pictures of her
daughter, Megan, who committed
suicide last October.
daughter, Megan, who committed
suicide last October.
MySpace Suicide Case Raises Free Speech Issues
August 06, 2008 02:03 PM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A number of rights groups have filed an amicus brief in the MySpace suicide case, warning that the rights of almost all Internet users could be in danger.
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Democracy and Technology, Public Citizen and 14 law professors filed the brief in the MySpace case, asserting that criminalizing the actions of Lori Drew would set a precarious precedent.
Missouri resident Lori Drew admitted to creating a fake MySpace profile in 2006, that she used to convince 13-year-old Megan Meier that she was exchanging messages with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Drew, 49, is the mother of a classmate who had had a falling-out with Meier.
After receiving cruel messages from “Josh,” the clinically depressed teenager hanged herself in her bedroom.
In May 2008, authorities indicted Drew on federal charges with violating MySpace’s terms of service, but those who filed the brief argue that this could endanger free speech.
According to the brief, “the Government’s theory would attach criminal penalties to minors under the age of 18 who use the Google search engine, as well as to many individuals who legitimately exercise their First Amendment rights to speak anonymously online.”
The case is also another example of cyberbullying, which is on the rise, according to parents and educators. In response to concerns about cybersafety, MySpace and Facebook recently established new safety policies to aid parents in monitoring their kids’ online activities.
Missouri resident Lori Drew admitted to creating a fake MySpace profile in 2006, that she used to convince 13-year-old Megan Meier that she was exchanging messages with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Drew, 49, is the mother of a classmate who had had a falling-out with Meier.
After receiving cruel messages from “Josh,” the clinically depressed teenager hanged herself in her bedroom.
In May 2008, authorities indicted Drew on federal charges with violating MySpace’s terms of service, but those who filed the brief argue that this could endanger free speech.
According to the brief, “the Government’s theory would attach criminal penalties to minors under the age of 18 who use the Google search engine, as well as to many individuals who legitimately exercise their First Amendment rights to speak anonymously online.”
The case is also another example of cyberbullying, which is on the rise, according to parents and educators. In response to concerns about cybersafety, MySpace and Facebook recently established new safety policies to aid parents in monitoring their kids’ online activities.
Headline Link: Brief warns against free speech restrictions
The amicus brief warns that a conviction of Lori Drew in the MySpace case would have worrisome implications for Internet users. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy and Technology, who are filing the brief, “believe that holding Drew criminally liable for violating MySpace's ToS would be an ‘extraordinary and dangerous extension of federal criminal law,’ as it would turn practically everyone into federal criminals.” Ars Technica provides the brief.
Source: Ars Technica
Background: Woman indicted in Missouri MySpace suicide case
On May 16, 2008, the Associated Press reported that Lori Drew had been indicted for her alleged role in helping to create a false MySpace account to contact Megan Meier, who thought she was talking to a 16-year-old boy.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (Associated Press)
Opinion & Analysis: Legal implications
On May 15, 2008, Wired analyzed the debate. Although authorities initially could not find a law under which to charge Drew, they eventually built a case by charging her with violating the site’s terms of service. Jennifer Granick, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, called the case a “novel and extreme reading” of the law. “To say that you’re violating a criminal law by registering to speak under a false name is highly problematic. It’s probably an unconstitutional reading of the statute.” MySpace said that it supports the authorities.
Source: Wired
Related Topics: Cyberbullying, cybersecurity, and sexual predators online
Adults and teachers are struggling to deal with cyberbullying, which experts say is the fastest-growing form of bullying. Illinois lawmakers are considering a law to make it a crime. “This is the new bullying,” said Gilda Ross, a guidance counselor at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn. “It’s much uglier and much more hurtful."
Source: The Daily Herald
Students are now using the Internet to harass their teachers. A Charlotte, N.C., student recently ran into trouble for posting a link suggesting that a teacher was a pedophile on a Facebook message board. “This year, the four or five cyberbullying cases I’ve had have all involved student-on-teacher. It seems to be a new trend,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools detective Kenny Lynch.
Source: T.H.E. Journal
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Internet Security provides the best online resources for safeguarding against Internet predators of all types.
Source: findingDulcinea
Forbes reports on “the state of cybersecurity.” Experts say that parents and children can take small measures to protect themselves when using social networks. In January of this year, MySpace agreed to establish new safety policies, including creating a tutorial for parents and adding a tool that lets parents determine if their child has a MySpace profile. Facebook agreed to add similar measures in May.
Source: Forbes
In an effort to protect children against sexual predators on social networking Web sites, New York’s 25,000 sex offenders will now be required to register their online identities to the state. Gov. David A. Paterson signed the law on Wednesday. “The Internet has become a playground for sexual predators,” said Sen. Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Centre, the author of Megan’s Law, which established the state’s first sex offender registry.
Source: Newsday
Reference: Social networking advice for parents
In discussing how to keep children safe online, experts advise parents to strike a balance between informing their children about safety issues and giving them the freedom that they need to become individuals.
Source: MSNBC
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Web Sites Parent Should Know About instructs adults about kids’ favorite sites. They’re popular and fun, but some of the most intriguing sites can be dangerous for kids, especially tweens and teens. It’s important for parents to help keep their kids safe online.
Source: findingDulcinea
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Social Networking will familiarize users with sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster. Online social networks take the idea of connecting with others and make it digital. Whether it is for fun, business, romance, or something else, more and more people are interacting over the Web.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2008 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
