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Felony For Refreshing a Web Page?

Posted by Zonk on from the dangerous-pixelantes dept.

therandomw writes "An 18 year-old boy was recently arrested in Ohio for telling fellow students to refresh the schools web page in order to slow down the server. He is being charged with a felony and is currently being held in jail. According to Canton City Prosecutor Frank Forchione 'This new technology has created a whole wave of crimes, and we're just trying to find ways to solve them.'"

3 of 965 comments (clear)

  1. Seems like a waste of time and money by dada21 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This problem can be solved through software already -- the school didn't take necessary means to avoid such a simple "DoS" style attack.

    Even so, it seems crazy to me to waste taxpayer dollars chasing down this citizen and even more dollars prosecuting him. While the law is supposed to be around to protect property, I don't see how this is a felony. He didn't do the refreshing, did he? He used his right to speak freely.

    I'm sure I'll hear the standard arguments about how speech can be regulated and I repudiate all of them. Crying fire in a theatre is private property -- the Constitution protects nothing on private property and the theatre owner is responsible for setting the standards of speech. Telling someone how to make a bomb is also free expression/speech -- you're not making the bomb. In this case, if clicking excessively is a crime (I can't believe it would be), the people who did the act should be indicted.

    I'd love to see what real crimes are happening right now in Canton City -- murders, rapes, thefts. Speeding tickets and telling people to refresh a website repeatedly are nothing compared to real property crime. The last quote about trying to solve them reads more to me like they're "trying to find ways to exploit them."

    For the school -- they can now expect this to happen more often. The publicity in charging this guy is going to be mostly negative in the minds of the students. All we need now is to get the link visible on slashdot, right?

    1. Re:Seems like a waste of time and money by KevinKnSC · · Score: 5, Interesting
      From Senate Bill Number 146 (enacted a few years ago):

      In Sec 2909.04, (B) No person shall knowingly use any computer, computer system, computer network, telecommunications device, or other electronic device or system or the internet so as to disrupt, interrupt, or impair the functions of any police, fire, educational, commercial, or governmental operations.

      (C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of disrupting public services, a felony of the fourth degree.

      So, there's the law. We now return you to the discussion of whether this is an overreaction or not.

  2. Re:Low-tech DDoS? by AxemRed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I agree that what he did amounts to a DDoS attack. That's what it was, but on a small scale. But I feel like, the punishment should fit the crime.

    When someone steals $50000, they get charged with a felony and go to jail.
    When someone steals $10, the get charged with a misdemeanor and get community service.
    When someone steals $10 at high school, they get suspended.

    When someone speeds 50mph over the speed limit, they get their license suspended.
    When someone speeds 15mph over the speed limit, they get a $100 ticket.
    When someone speeds in the high school parking lot, they get detention.

    Now lets try this...
    When someone mounts a large-scale DDoS against a major portal, they get arrested and charged with a felony
    When someone mounts a tiny DDoS against their high school, they get... arrested and charged with a felony?

    //You get my point. He deserved a week suspension. Why can't schools handle things in-house anymore?