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User Charged With Felony For Using Fake Name On MySpace

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the understand-before-you-prosecute dept.

Recently a user, Lori Drew, was charged with a felony for the heinous crime of pretending to be someone else on the Internet. Using the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Lori was charged for signing up for MySpace using a fake name. "The access to MySpace was unauthorized because using a fake name violated the terms of service. The information from a "protected computer" was the profiles of other MySpace users. If this is found to be a valid interpretation of the law, it's really quite frightening. If you violate the Terms of Service of a website, you can be charged with hacking. That's an astounding concept. Does this mean that everyone who uses Bugmenot could be prosecuted? Also, this isn't a minor crime, it's a felony punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment per count. In Drew's case she was charged with three counts for accessing MySpace on three different occasions."

7 of 931 comments (clear)

  1. I'm George Bush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    first post

  2. Re:Listen up by arthurpaliden · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well as I doubt that 'Ethanol-fueled' is really your real name you have just commited a felony punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment

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    Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo
  3. Re:What the.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You appear to be using an alias, would like to come with us for a little while. -TLA(Three Letter Agency)

  4. Re:Well, drive a girl to suicide... by Stanislav_J · · Score: 4, Funny

    Drive a girl to commit suicide, and get prosecuted for loggin in under a fake name...

    Yeah, what's the deal with that? That's like "Orchestrate the St. Valentine's Massacre, and get prosecuted for tax evasion." Just so friggin' wrong....

    Sincerely,
    A. Capone

    --
    "Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket." -- Eric Hoffer
  5. Re:What the.... by Cathoderoytube · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh no the jig is up! My real name isn't Cathoderoytube! My real name isn't even Roy! I don't know how to fix tvs! For the love of god don't throw me in jail!

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    I have nothing compelling to say
  6. Re:What the.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    or crank calls you as "I P Freely".

    Is that some sort of net neutrality joke?

  7. Re:Al Capone... by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 3, Funny

    a crime that 95% of law abiding people don't commit.

    IANAL, but I think you're off by about 5% here.

    --
    You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!