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FBI Arrests Alleged Attacker Who Tweeted Seizure-Inducing Strobe at a Writer (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the FBI-is-looking-at-your-tweets dept.

From a report on The Verge: An arrest has been made three months after someone tweeted a seizure-inducing strobe at writer and Vanity Fair contributing editor Kurt Eichenwald. The Dallas FBI confirmed the arrest to The Verge today, and noted that a press release with more details is coming. Eichenwald, who has epilepsy, tweeted details of the arrest and said that more than 40 other people also sent him strobes after he publicized the first attack. Their information is now with the FBI, he says. It isn't clear whether these "different charges" relate to similar online harassment incidents or something else entirely.

5 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. That's Like Something Out Of Neuromancer by lobiusmoop · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "At 12:04:03, every screen in the building strobed for eighteen seconds in a frequency that produced seizures in a susceptible segment of Sense/Net employees."

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    "I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."
  2. AFK != IRL by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Turns out the internet is as much real life as, well, real life. If it's possible to physically injure someone over the internet, then it's just as illegal to attempt to do so as it is in real life.

    "it's just a joke", "for the lolz" or "mah freeze peach" does not make punching someone in the face legal no matter if you think it's funny or are trying to raise a political point.

    And being on the internet is certainly not a free pass to do illegal things.

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    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  3. Good by Schezar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If something like this is done with intent to harm and knowledge of the likelihood of harm, it's tantamount to punching him in the face.

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  4. Re:Glad the FBI are doing their jobs by david_thornley · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Speaking as a leftist who has a personal hatred of Nazis (on top of all the general hatred), I think we need to wait until they violate criminal law before they're brought to justice. I do believe in these formalities.

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    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  5. Re:No. by DaHat · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Better example: Gregory Allen Elliot who was put on trial for what amounted to disagreeing with a couple of people on Twitter.

    Not quite to the level of a crime? True, but I didn't mention that the people he disagreed with felt 'threatened' by him.

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