"threats" on facebook turns into Supreme Court case

[southsider2k5]

It is an interesting case.

 

http://www.thv11.com/story/news/nation/201...peech/19488113/

[Jenksismyhero]

It's ridiculous to me that people can feel intimidated over the internet. They're f'n words. Stop reading them and they go away!

[Kyyle23]

It's ridiculous to me that people can feel intimidated over the internet. They're f'n words. Stop reading them and they go away!

 

Sometimes. And sometimes, like last thursday at Nordstrom, a woman loses her life. It is difficult to police, but sometimes those words are actual threats

[bmags]

I think the problem is they won't be able to create a law with language narrow enough to please US SC

[RockRaines]

It's ridiculous to me that people can feel intimidated over the internet. They're f'n words. Stop reading them and they go away!

Because kids and teenagers use it to seriously harass others. It's incredibly cruel the way they use the internet to bully.

[whitesoxfan99]

Because kids and teenagers use it to seriously harass others. It's incredibly cruel the way they use the internet to bully.

 

Agreed and it is also quite different to have someone you actually know in real life harass you through the internet then someone on an anonymous message board. If someone a person knows is constantly harassing or threatening them online it is entirely reasonable to be concerned that such conduct will continue elsewhere.

[Jenksismyhero]

Because kids and teenagers use it to seriously harass others. It's incredibly cruel the way they use the internet to bully.

 

But as a parent, how do you not teach your child to just ignore it? Literally, press the "ignore" button that's on 99% of all social media platforms. It's pretty simple.

 

[Jenksismyhero]

Agreed and it is also quite different to have someone you actually know in real life harass you through the internet then someone on an anonymous message board. If someone a person knows is constantly harassing or threatening them online it is entirely reasonable to be concerned that such conduct will continue elsewhere.

 

I can understand that and I don't think the internet gives you an automatic license for threatening speech. But I'm wary of saying internet speech is the same as verbal speech. I'm a very firm believer that text alone does not provide appropriate context or tone, which means text can be taken out of context and manipulated (obviously some text is going to be direct enough, but not the majority).

[Balta1701]

I can understand that and I don't think the internet gives you an automatic license for threatening speech. But I'm wary of saying internet speech is the same as verbal speech. I'm a very firm believer that text alone does not provide appropriate context or tone, which means text can be taken out of context and manipulated (obviously some text is going to be direct enough, but not the majority).

I'm genuinely uncertain about this, if I yell "I'll f***ing kill you" at someone, does that cross a legal line?

[Jenksismyhero]

I'm genuinely uncertain about this, if I yell "I'll f***ing kill you" at someone, does that cross a legal line?

 

The standard is whether a reasonable person would take that as a threat. To me, it's much easier to gauge the seriousness of that statement verbally rather than via text.

[Balta1701]

The standard is whether a reasonable person would take that as a threat. To me, it's much easier to gauge the seriousness of that statement verbally rather than via text.

It may make a defense easier to mount by saying "I was just kidding" but a tweet saying "I know where you live I'm coming to your house with my gun" seems like it should be a threat taken seriously by law enforcement in all cases. I get the feeling right now that it typically isn't.

[zenryan]

I'm genuinely uncertain about this, if I yell "I'll f***ing kill you" at someone, does that cross a legal line?

 

 

Milan Lucic certainly hopes it doesnt.

[farmteam]

It may make a defense easier to mount by saying "I was just kidding" but a tweet saying "I know where you live I'm coming to your house with my gun" seems like it should be a threat taken seriously by law enforcement in all cases. I get the feeling right now that it typically isn't.

The more specific a statement is, the more likely a reasonable person would find it to be a threat.

[greg775]

I think a ton of people have gotten in trouble over "social media" posts. It's easy to be a tough guy on the internet. I hope tons of people get arrested/thrown in jail for internet threats.

[Balta1701]

I think a ton of people have gotten in trouble over "social media" posts. It's easy to be a tough guy on the internet. I hope tons of people get arrested/thrown in jail for internet threats.

I think that people getting in trouble for them happens very, very rarely.

 

Twitter is actually starting to get some notoriety as a place where it's very easy to harass and threaten people with no consequences.

[bmags]

I think that people getting in trouble for them happens very, very rarely.

 

Twitter is actually starting to get some notoriety as a place where it's very easy to harass and threaten people with no consequences.

 

Yes.

 

I'm not sure where I stand legally on this. I think it's a good question to answer for the USSC.

 

However, I think, for media companies, they have a responsibility to help employees with the hate mail. Women journalists just get killed with disgusting comments and emails constantly. Constantly.

 

Twitter, it's just gross. How do they deal? Will they rely on individual flagging? They get in trouble when a popular person gets a tweet removed because trolls flagged it. But ultimately, not sure this isn't their problem.

[RockRaines]

But as a parent, how do you not teach your child to just ignore it? Literally, press the "ignore" button that's on 99% of all social media platforms. It's pretty simple.

You cant ignore it when it spills over to their life, reputations and relationships in school and other places. Its horrid to see.

[Balta1701]

Yes.

 

I'm not sure where I stand legally on this. I think it's a good question to answer for the USSC.

 

However, I think, for media companies, they have a responsibility to help employees with the hate mail. Women journalists just get killed with disgusting comments and emails constantly. Constantly.

 

Twitter, it's just gross. How do they deal? Will they rely on individual flagging? They get in trouble when a popular person gets a tweet removed because trolls flagged it. But ultimately, not sure this isn't their problem.

The thing I've seen happen to a whole lot of people is "a giant surge of harassing posts from accounts that are then deleted before the reports are processed". Twitter basically throws up their hands then even when people might be able to connect them to existing accounts.

[Jenksismyhero]

You cant ignore it when it spills over to their life, reputations and relationships in school and other places. Its horrid to see.

 

Eh, how's that different than actual bullying in school? We all dealt with it at some point. That's part of being a kid. Obviously it can go to far, and people should be protected/punished for it, but if Facebook is your life, you need to get a f'n life. Kids put too much stock on their internet/social media accounts. I'm in favor of breaking that trend, not embarrassing it and nurturing it even more.

 

 

[Balta1701]

Eh, how's that different than actual bullying in school? We all dealt with it at some point. That's part of being a kid. Obviously it can go to far, and people should be protected/punished for it, but if Facebook is your life, you need to get a f'n life. Kids put too much stock on their internet/social media accounts. I'm in favor of breaking that trend, not embarrassing it and nurturing it even more.

I for one don't think "That's part of being a kid" is how I feel about a couple people I had to deal with while growing up, and none of those ever got to the point where some things I've seen on twitter get to.

[bmags]

I'm sure you will go far telling middle school kids to care less about their social status.

[Jenksismyhero]

I'm sure you will go far telling middle school kids to care less about their social status.

 

Clearly i'm out of touch with all of this. I just don't see how your social status online is any more important or influential than your social status in the real world. One you can turn off and not pay attention to, the other you can't and is far more meaningful/serious.

[bmags]

It's the same, it isn't fake people, it is their friends at school. It's no different if someone threatened you over phone vs in front of you. One isn't made up because of the medium.

[RockRaines]

Eh, how's that different than actual bullying in school? We all dealt with it at some point. That's part of being a kid. Obviously it can go to far, and people should be protected/punished for it, but if Facebook is your life, you need to get a f'n life. Kids put too much stock on their internet/social media accounts. I'm in favor of breaking that trend, not embarrassing it and nurturing it even more.

Kids worlds are so small, and when something is permanently out on the internet its brutal, even driving them to depression and suicide. Bullying could have been limited to one small school in a community and you could have changed schools even to help it out, now there is no escape.

[Jenksismyhero]

Kids worlds are so small, and when something is permanently out on the internet its brutal, even driving them to depression and suicide. Bullying could have been limited to one small school in a community and you could have changed schools even to help it out, now there is no escape.

 

They can't hit ignore? Block the email address? Close their facebook? I don't buy it.