Cyberstalking Laws
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Cyberstalking Laws
Stalking has always existed; however, technological development in form of internet innovation has accelerated the act. Cyberstalking is the act of repeatedly sending harassing or annoying messages to someone through social media or the internet. Cyberstalking can also involve monitoring a person’s activities and online behavior to use the information acquired for malicious reasons, such as identity theft (Fox, 2001). Cyber stalkers can either be strangers or people already known to the victims. Cyberstalkers are often determined and move from one social site to another until the victim’s channel is fully intruded. The intention of cybertstalking is to obtain personal information, including relationships, location, and other aspects of life. Cyberstalking can also be done to harass and threaten a victim.
Like other forms of harassment and privacy invasion, cyberstalking is illegal and is considered a criminal offense. In the United States, cyberstalking is punishable under various legislations because there is no specific law that governs the issue. Cyberstalking is handed as a form of emotional abuse; therefore, any person that used electronic means to harass and monitor people’s activities violates the slander and anti-harassment laws. Some states in the U.S have established cyberstalking laws. These laws prohibit the action of repeatedly sending intrusive and frightening messages from a perpetrator electronically, either using a phone, computer, and email. Sending people unwanted items, such as flowers is also prohibited under the law. Cyberstalking laws in the United States also prohibit people whether strangers or know to the victim from posting information and sending recorded voice notes about the victim on social sites.it is also illegal to monitor a person’s activities, the people he or she interacts with, and daily online behavior monitoring people’s internet activities is considered an invasion of privacy and it violates cyberstalking laws (Wilkinson, 2016).
References
Fox, R. (2001). Someone to watch over us. Criminology and Criminal Justice, 1(3), 251-276.
Wilkinson, M. (2016). Cyber misbehavior, 64(3).