“The Arizona State Legislature on Monday passed an Internet censorship bill that extends telephone harassment laws to the Internet and other means of electronic communication,” Dan Graziano reports for BGR.
“The legislation aims to put an end to cyberbullying and states that virtually anything said online that the state deems ‘offensive’ can be a punishable offense,” Graziano reports. “Law enforcement officials will be able to charge Internet lawbreakers with a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to six months in jail.”
Graziano reports, “Opponents of the legislation argue that the vague wording of the bill could lead to a crack down on public message boards such as 4Chan and Reddit, thus infringing upon basic American freedoms. The bill is currently on the Governor’s desk waiting to be signed into law or vetoed.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Wonder what would have been deemed “offensive” to “the state” back in July 1776? Oh, yeah, the United States Declaration of Independence.
Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. – Potter Stewart
The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. – John Gilmore
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Joe Architect” for the heads up.]
“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”
— Mark Twain
Arizonistan!
In Arizona, no less. Barry Goldwater must be spinning in his grave!
This Arizona law will be struck down as UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Why didn’t Arizona simply write up an anti-bullying law? We managed to write one in New York State! Want a copy to read, Arizona?
Oh I know why:
Because our Corporate Oligarchy Overlords want to toss we little peasants into a Neo-Feudalist POLICE STATE. It’s gonna be 1984 in 2012! Thank you Patriot Act ad nauseam!
The same thing is happening in the UK:
Home Sec: Web snoop law will snare PAEDOS, TERRORISTS
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04/03/theresa_may_net_snooping_plan_ccdp/
As one bloke on Twitter pointed out: “Dear government, ‘1984’ was supposed to be a dystopian fiction novel, not an instructional manual”.
So once again we have the grand old party (they are in charge in Arizona) restricting personal freedoms. You mouth breathers are all over the “commie” plots to destroy our country, but you just look the other way when the government does crap like this? Add to it the Supreme court yesterday saying that cops can strip search you for any reason at all (including a traffic violation) and your love of the TSA. I guess you are all really confused fascists…