Washington State Cyberstalking Law
Washington state has enacted a criminal cyber-stalking statute that threatens its citizens with prosecution and incarceration for innocent online speech protected by the First Amendment. Specifically, the law prohibits broadly-defined “electronic communications” intended to “embarrass” someone (or torment, harass or intimidate them) that are made anonymously or repeatedly or include a four-letter word (or is threatening or obscene).
Updates
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EFF has long been concerned that—unless carefully drafted and limited—cyberstalking laws can be misused to criminalize political speech. In fact, earlier this year we celebrated a federal court decision in Washington State in the United States that tossed out an overbroad cyberstalking law. In the case, the law had...
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Great news out of Washington state: a federal judge has ruled that the First Amendment protects speech on the Internet, even from anonymous speakers, and even if it’s embarrassing.EFF has been fighting this statute for a long time. It’s a prime example of how sloppy approaches...
