Anonymous comments may become illegal in Kentucky
Although it’s not exactly clear how the law could be enforced, the lawmaker said outlawing anonymous posting could curb online bullying. Kentucky Representative Tim Couch introduced the bill in the state’s Legislature last week. Under the policy, anyone who contributes to a Web site will have to submit a name, e-mail address, and mailing address. This essentially would ban anonymous posting, as the contributor’s name would have to be listed with the post. If the site still decides to allow for anonymous posting, a $500 fine would apply for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
Couch seems to be directing his ire at sites like the increasingly popular JuicyCampus.com, which encourages students to post anonymous, and most times slanderous, comments about others. He says that the bullying problem is significant in his own district in eastern Kentucky. However, at the same time he says the bill could be difficult to enforce if signed into law. A local news station said it polled residents of Couch’s district and found mixed results. While some saw it as a method to combat online harassment, others saw it in violation of the First Amendment. I guess this is an interesting attempt to make internet a safer place, but it’s impossible to keep an eye on every single website yet every comment.
Source: Betanews
Comments(128)
Let’s see em enforce something like that!
Maybe we should stop taking for granted our ability to insult another person for no good reason, online.
Maxpower! YOU ARE NOT GOOD! I DO NOT LIKE YOU MUCH!! RARR!!
Jokes Martin, jokes.
If you can’t take abuse you really shouldn’t be on the net. What next you fine twelve year olds for calling people “ball licking noobs” on cod4 over live.
And how would this work exactly if the website isn’t based in Kentucky? Never gonna work.
Mr Nuzz,
You don’t have a black bar across your eyes do you?
I wish I was getting insulted by a young attractive girl in her bed, wearing thin clothing.
Yeah, it is usually the 12 year old kids doing the insulting though.
Although Zleet is right.
If you can’t take the flames, GTFO you F*CKING POS NOOB.
And just how does the website determine what’s an “offense”? How does one define “bullying”? It’s up to the discretion of the webmaster? Admin/moderators? What makes them qualified to distinguish between bullying and not? How is the poster insured these moderators aren’t biased, power abusers etc?
This sounds like if they actually were able to leapfrog a host of privacy protection, and freedom of speech laws within our constitution, and make this nonsense law, there’d be a whole lot of empty web forums/blogs in Kentucky.
Thats just the lamest thing i have ever heard. LOL
got any links for places for discussion with kentucky people? all the 14 year olds can go there and ‘contribute’ to their internet experience lol
we’re gonna git them bullies off our interweb cause i don’t need to feel bullied before i go have secks with my sister! yeeeeeeeehaaaaaa!
Beginning of the end!!
The US has some mad people in it. How do they think they can enforce this? Bullying unfortunately is part of growing up. It happens to everyone, just its become cyber now, rather than in real life.
For this to be practical at all it would have to be a National Law…not just a state law.
If it is only a state law, it would be impossible to enforce. However, if it were to become a National Law it would be ALLOT easier to enforce.
They don’t care about bullying, it’s just another way to get some money. But there are easier ways to do that than enforcing such a law, like robbing a bank.
Okay… US stupidity @ next level
Knowing that the US record on freedom of speech and human rights is as bad as China this doesn’t surprise me. Yesterday on a certain forum there was an over 300 post discussion in regards to the US and UK foreign policy. Under the new proposed rules people posting there would have to post personal information that could lead to their arrest for ‘criticising the president during time of war’ (treason). If this is implausable then someone please justify the domestic spying program.
In China plans were recently scrapped for bloggers to register with the government due to the amount of bloggers posting subversive articles and other things that undermines the government. Eventuall the US, UK and other bastions and champions of freedom of speech (or better: bombers of oil rich countries) will also introduce measures like this to curb freedom and keep ane even closer eye on their own citizens.
“Doomsday predictions of a conspiracy theorist and ones that will never be implemented and enforced.” AT&T, the NSA and CIA will never admit to spying on the citizens of the world so those who believe that the government is doing this to ‘prevent terrorism’ will always support the increase in power of their dicators.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Franklin’s Contributions to the Conference on February 17 (III) Fri, Feb 17, 1775
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha.. What a waste of Taxpayer money.
Fuqing god damned Americans again thnking that they have the right to legistale everybody elses freedom of speech..This and your warmongering is the reason why we hate you, America.
It doesn’t matter if it can’t be enforced ‘effectively’, if it goes through then the law will exist, precedents will be set and others are likely to follow, eventually this type of legislation will have it’s desired effect, especially if, as it is, it’s the site admin themselves who are held responsible.
Or it could go the other way, and people around the world will increasingly start to block America off from the net.
Wouldn’t this “stop” some people posting on here aswell? And on the internet bullying front. I thought all the insulting etc was all part of the net. You insult someone, soeone insults you. Who cares… Kids these days, just need to learn to suck it up. If they’re getting their arse kicked, fair enough, but being called a n00b and then cutting yourself… I’d say they were right to call you that!
And two towns in Vermont passed a referendum ordering their police to arrest Bush and Cheney (if ever found within their city limits) and turn them over to authorities capable of prosecuting them for their crimes. A nice thought, but equally unenforceable and, given the season, just more political grandstanding.
“Or it could go the other way, and people around the world will increasingly start to block America off from the net.”
Yeah… America can have their own little intranet of spying and non-freedom of speech
Did you hear that they have raised the minimum drinking age in certain Kentucky Counties to 32?
It seems they want to keep alcohol out of the pre-schools.
what a bunch of bull***t
midwest, yeck!!
@21
I believe the idea is that if commenting weren’t anonymous, bullies, who are just cowards at heart, would stop out of fear of getting the crap kicked out of them. You know, like in the good old days, when people had the stones to say things to your face and accept the consequences of their actions.
That’s probably because someone posted that Kentucky fried chicken is a piece of sh!t.
obviously these morons have never heard of free proxies, google it.
teh governm3ntz against teh internwetzz… zomg.
@24
32… What a sh!t hole that place is. If you live there you have my pity.
@24, thank you for that, you just made my day
I don’t know the law in US, but in Slovakia, we have act on protection of personal data. Name, e-mail and address are sufficient to identify person, so it’s definitely personal data, which are protected by that act, must not be collected or published if the purpose of business doesn’t need it.
American politicians have become so out of touch with new technologies.
@ #20 Wibble…I’m gonna take a wild stab and say your are British?
@#20 Wibble: whatever country u r from, u r a fok head who drinks splooge. Don’t mess with the U.S., we own this world, with all our imperfections…
i just randomly started singing “breakin the law, breakin the law” as i typed this!!
So everyone just posts anonymously on foreign hosted sites. No real country is going to bow to US pressure on something this stupid.
@20 Wibble-dik
furthermore, since you hate America so much, go freeload off some other download site, stop snagging U.S. content from this site…I can’t stand pewsies like u, who whine about America becuz they are too weak to run shuh-it like we do!
@20 Wibble-dik:
I’m sure every card-carrying American on this site would agree, you gotta own the card, be a card-carryin member before you can talk bad about our country…we can, we bleed for that right; not twots like u who ain’t even American.
ok on topic: its a dumb proposed bill. Just don’t like with non-Americans critizing my Great Country.
It’s an exercise in futility to try to reduce e-bullying. The best punishment would be to let the e-bullying carry on. As often happens, reality strikes very hard for those who like to run down others like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a sobering moment for them when they realize that what they have indulged in was nothing more than a lame attempt to feel superior to everybody.
It’s what you achieve in real life counts, not dissing others online.
@28
how do you intend to proxy a website? Specially when the telephone companies own the internetwebz.. They will fine sites that allow anon posting or dont remove anon posters in a timely fashion. All in the name of “protecting the citizens”
its just pathetic, and a new low in american “patriotism”.
US SUCKZ BY BALLZ
http://www.rlslog.net/anonymous-comments-may-become-illegal-in-kentucky/#comments
@name: HEY! no insulting or bullying us…and use your real name!
i heard of forums in germany, where webmasters were fined because of angry postings about some companies.
…i think this is even worse.
Leaving my name and mailing address online, will send a psychos right on my door stub!
new game out on private torrents http://www.gamespot.com/video/930737/6186984/the-lost-crown-a-ghost-hunting-adventure-official-trailer-1
What a shame…
Why do they need a law for this? Ask the moderators of the site, if they could require registration for commentig. Problem solved. 
The beginning of the end of Western Civilization?
Naaa just the continued soap-opera of Humans trying to control Humans. We have been there and continue to be there. All this proposed law is put forth to shut up a local populous. But to do so it has to, under U.S. law, attack the whole country. It’s total BS…Unconstitutional, unenforceable and just plain stupid.
The Internet must be completely free. Otherwise it will cease to exist. Plane and simple. The beauty of that freedom is a course for social change.
The Internet will never be regulated. The reason being, that too many private companies, governments and powerful individuals have a stake in it. If any one person or government tries to take over or limit it’s use, the rebellion will be swift, and with all the savy hackers out there….TOTAL.
Peace!
-A
08/15 If that’s the case then those webmasters should sue the state of Germany for violation of freedom of speech because ECHR will not uphold such rulings and then no German court will ever pass such judgement again because that will mean they will be punished.
I LOVE THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS!
http://rapidshare.com/files/98946566/PSP_GAME_COLLECTION.txt
http://rapidshare.com/files/98946566/PSP_GAME_COLLECTION.txt
———————-
aereaus I assume with unconstitutional you mean the invasion of Iraq, Afghanista, the bombardment of Iraq for years, the invasion of Vietnam and the domest spying program.
There will be no rebellion, no uprising and everyone will, as always, MOO and BEEE when their government tells them go right and go left. We need millitantcy, we need rioting and an uprising by our so called societies instead of them grazing on the propaganda fed to them.
Won’t someone please think of the children? Hey, how about the parents? Sorry, stupid idea. I forgot we’re talking abot buttfuk idah-oops I mean kentucky. And of course, everyone here knows a hundred ways around this and it is completely ineffective. For all the “watch out for big brother” spewing Americans, you do realize that it refers to Orwell’s “1984″, not a tv-show… right?
I think the real question here is who goatse’d Tim Couch?
lol, sounds like a lot of websites will be banning the kentucky ip range and hosts. hahaha
Dawg, wake up and look at your country right now….not as good as what you think
you dont know who i am
but what if my first name is Anonymous and last name is Noemail
hmm… interesting
Osama Bin Laden is hiding in Kentucky. So we must nuke it off the map.
“Did you hear that they have raised the minimum drinking age in certain Kentucky Counties to 32?
It seems they want to keep alcohol out of the pre-schools.”
ROFL!!
Why not tell Moron Tim what you think:
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/H090.htm
i can’t stop laughing over here, that proposal totally made my day…. =)
seriously. seriously??
wtf incompetence.
If this was setup to protect people from manipulative a$$holes and to protect their personal info from being posted because of a difference in a point of view, then it might be justifiable, but I don’t see this law working for the lack of concern for everyone else’s personal information, you know the one’s who just love a good debate. This is just another law that will be abused, I’m just glad I don’t live in Kentucky.
I think Tim Couch is setting this up so he can then appoint his familly and friend as “Central Unit Non-deflamatory Text officer” (C.U.N.T.O’s to you and me)
Kentucky local intranet? why not amisch all the way
Case 92423421516724125153531413.. the patriot act thickens.
As if someone ever realy is anonymous on the internet, if
someone is seriously threatened people are traceable.
They may aswell put scary commercials on tv.
I just dont know if this would work without more possibly harm to the victem.. who will store all this info?
@34, 37, 38
Theres a difference between patriotism and blindly supporting a corrupt government.
I also think its very cute that you think you run the world.
America, you don’t even run yourselves.
“who will store all this info?”
I assure you, someone with way too much power.
STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!!!!this is so moronic,it should not even
printed,but then again,id’ love to get the adress on the
Phuckface that came up with this ideea!!i could visit the
worthless buttplug of a kentuckian,that came up with this
ideea and drill him a extra hole or 2.who votes for these kind
of people anyway.some abortions go horrible wrong,and
they all seem to go in to politics.
America. LoL
This actually might work well with the rest of the crazy laws in Kentucky:
Kentucky has a law that states that you may not dye a duck blue and then sell it unless you have at least six more for sale at the same time. In Fort Thomas, Kentucky, it is illegal for a dog to molest a car. In Owensboro, it is illegal for a woman to buy a hat without her husband’s permission.
Text borrowed from some crappy site that had some insane laws listed there.
Is KY a part of US where most ppl are IQ challanged?
When I 1st saw the heading, 1st thing that came to my mind is what’s the date? Then I realized 1st April is yet to come. Then I thought this must be the funniest post of the year! Contributions from Dawg from Kentuckey made this post complete.
What amazes me most is at what point of time ppl can think of or feel the urge to do something like this in their valuable time! Don’t they have pollution over there? Or Traffic Jam maybe? How many rapes last year? Then again, the US civil administrators get elected in democratic fashion by citizens like Dawg, so n surprize there!
comments should have full name, location, phone num, id scan x2 and full body naked photo (front/back)…
but how they will authenticate the data???
LMAO!
Thanks for posting this. You made my day.
@74
I swear, those laws are like something from South Park.
I’ve stated this elsewhere, where I live, it’s a misdemeanor to have sex out of wedlock, but the school system teaches safe sex practices and even gives out condoms.
they have the internet in kentucky?
‘lawmaker said outlawing anonymous posting could curb online bullying’
oh yeah it could also stop the annoying habit of voicing your opinion without being harrassed and beat down by stupid radicals.
with everyones address nicely posted, we can get rid of online bullying and start something honest, like REAL LIFE bullying. big style!
this is so stupid that i feel ashamed even writing about it. =)
Not sure which side I’d take, as I do get some entertainment value from reading these free-for-alls. But I can see the harm caused by such an anonynous, say-anything-you-want attitude. Spread lies, defame others. But where can one get off that it’s in violation of the first amendment? The first ammendment protects a person’s right to free speech, not an anonymous coward’s right to free speech. If you’ve got something worthwhile to say, why not take credit for it. But if it’s nothing more than cheap pot shots that the author is too cowardly to claim, why do we as readers have to waste our time reading it.
A. We are talking about acountry where we can easily find “SOMEBODY, THINK OF THE CHILDREN” crowd anywhere
B. We are talking about a socity where elected officials can publicly announce sothing like this knowing is the back of their mind that this is outright silly, but do it anyway to come into the limelight and thinks they are cool in public eye for doing so.
C. We are talking about a country that worships bullying… Remember how Iraq was attacked (Where is Saddam’s hidden secret WMD BTW?) and it is still bleeding. Which for sure will be avenged.
So thank you USA for supplying constant cheesy entertainment and never letting us get bored.
@vingevam: What does telephone companies have to do with the internet?
My house doesn’t even have a telephone line (built last year). The only exception would be DSL I guess but that will probably be replaced part by part.
About the law. This is clearly one of those propositions from someone who don’t know anything about technology. Unfortunately a few exist in most political parties around the world.
this is not only a violation of the philosophy of the right to privacy…
it actually outlaws privacy.
remember how to cook a frog…
put him in cold water first, then SLOWLY TURN UP THE HEAT.
by the time he realizes it is getting too hot,
it is already too late.
HES COOKED.
It hasn’t got anything to do with law…it’s just to get Tim Couch’s name “out there”….job done.
lol, “hey look at me i fight internet bullies,vote for me”
I read all these comments from people who think they have privacy, but I know otherwise. Even if you’re a law abiding citizen, the powers have their ways. Someone could be watching you while you’re taking a dump or being intimate with your significant other, and you would be none the wiser. Now that’s a scary thought.
only if you’re not busy taking a massive dump or having fun screwing your girl. paranoid whacko! ;-P
@ Dawg (Jesus, even the name screams RedNeck, I’m expecting a ‘Yuk Yuk’ in there somewhere)..
You are a prime example of the stereotypical, dumb as a post, flag waver, that encourages people such as myself to post broadly sweeping comments that cast a doubts over your country’s right to call itself civilised…
If you truely had the right to life that you purport to have, then you would SERIOUSLY take stock of the phrases ‘land of the free’ and ‘democracy’ and consider exactly what validity they still hold over your nation…. and after that if you can still flagwave in all honesty, then you have even less cognitive abilities than I assumne you have at the moment…
…and btw, you DON’T bleed for what’s ‘right’ (and never have done, unless I’m missing something about every fight you’ve picked since Vietnam), you bleed for your politicians who suck off your corporate structure.
The only reason the world gives you any credence whatsoever is your economic and military bruteforce which you use at the drop of a hat…. you’re country, my sadly deluded friend, is the biggest bully in the playground.
this guy has been trying to do this for the last few years his son was a victim of online bulling
omg who owes money now… myself or rlslog
even insulting someone is practising your freedom of speech, of course in usa they just about already lost that hehe
maybe it’s time for you Americans to kick some polititian butt instead of insulting people on the net? Or are you guys not interested in your basic rights anymore…land of the free..guess what, NOT anymore!
k now you can insult me…it’s your right! :p
love, peace and freedom
grtz from Belgium
Wibble well said! ^^
GAAAAAY!
YO TIM COUCH, F*CK YO COUCH. OH YA I WENT THERE.
@89
Lol, but seriously it’s true, ever heard of a spy satellite?
Tim Couch is an emo baby /wrists tim……….
Next guy is a loser
The guy before is a kid
who cares
@93 Armando
Clear messege – much appreciated!
aah someone got my point…kinda hope you’re American :p hehe
This law would be quite expensive for rlslog
other interesting laws in Kentucky
It is against the law to ask a girl in a bikini for a date.
The law states that “no female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway unless she is escorted by at least two officers of the law or unless she be armed with a club”. An amendment to the law says that “the provisions of this statute shall not apply to females weighing less than 90 pounds nor to females exceeding 200 pounds, nor shall it apply to female horses.”
Lexington – It is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your pocket.
Owensboro – it is against the law for a woman to buy a new hat without her husband first trying it on.
/b/Lover – Your right… no debate. The world is screwed and controlled by those who have the money. “They” do as they wish when “They” wish. The “Power Elite” to coin a term, are the International Banks. They have had the power since the early days. The Knights Templar were the first “European” bank. We know how that ended up.
Anyway…
Those who hold the money hold the rest of our lives in their hands. We are all slaves in one way or another.
This is life.
Peace..
-A
i actually live in Kentucky
oh noes!!! i can’t fun of people online on xbox live with this! what am i gonna dooes!
#
Wibble said
March 12th, 2008 | 11:14
Fuqing god damned Americans again thnking that they have the right to legistale everybody elses freedom of speech..This and your warmongering is the reason why we hate you, America.
It doesn’t matter if it can’t be enforced ‘effectively’, if it goes through then the law will exist, precedents will be set and others are likely to follow, eventually this type of legislation will have it’s desired effect, especially if, as it is, it’s the site admin themselves who are held responsible.
Or it could go the other way, and people around the world will increasingly start to block America off from the net.
**********************************************
I’m a American and I agree with WTF you said and i is possible to restrict a counties net access i’s do originate form some were. this is not just an American issue it’s a world wide so how the frakk can one nation regulate the WORLD WIDE WEB! now that that takes some reel nutts, nutts that no one has. this crap if it get passed well just get pulled later on because ours head of state don’t run this nation money does and those with money don’t like to give that stuff up for bs reasons
haill to the lobbyist!
it just goes to show how many lamers there’re out there. if u wanna bully someone the least u can do is have some guts and do it face to face – unless u r a girl or something. but then again, this could be the US government testing the waters – see how all u would respond to the beginning of Speech Censorship.
ontopic**
this will never work… simple as that… why stress it…
offtopic**
being an american who has lived all over the worlds… europe australia asia and whatnots i can say that we are far from perfects and need alot of changes… and true we do tend to play big brother a little too often…and do deserve much of the criticism directed towards our nation…at the same time for all our problems we do have many freedoms and liberties that make it worthwhiles… if one is smart enough to actually realize it…
but to say all americans are alike and to judge all of us on the failures or mistakes of others is simply stupidity… especially when america is made up those from other countries throughout this world… even yours…
random thoughts by one of many
simply respex
om-1
@blunden
look up net neutrality. They own alot of the physical internet infrastructure and they want to regulate it to make a buck and control the content.
kentucky should be banned from the interweb
fu(k tim couch
American “society” keeps degrading… Pity for them, really.
Hi my name is Tim Couch. My email address is timcouch@lrc.ky.gov and my address is
702 Capitol Ave
Annex Room 432B
Frankfort KY 40601
Now prove me wrong.
lol
I just want a bigger copy of the picture used for this post.
ive a question for this forum why if im a racist im banned but if i offend a spammer im not banned?
Right on rekrul,would someone give up the source of the hottie in picture please.
@wibble…your still a twot for talking abt MY country. And naw, not a redneck, they don’t like my black azz. Go criticize your own country. No one said she’s perfect, and you earn the right to talk bad about her WHEN you earn “The Card.”
@wibble, looks like you’ll be jumping from country to country. Your a window shopper. Scared to show patriotism. Scared to stand up for your country. You’re the dumb azz for making sweeping comments and thinking that every American that is ready to beat your azz for speaking ill of America is just a dumb flag waiver. We VOTE, we PROTEST, we ENGAGE, and its OUR right to do so…not window shoppers like you starin’ at things they can’t have.
Sorry om-1, I’m not intelligent enough to understand the freedoms and liberties you Americans are awarded that the rest of the western world aren’t.
Unless you mean America is a nicer/safer/free’er(?) place than some buttf*ck third world sh*thole country in central asia, africa or the middle east? In which case, do you want a medal or something?
I can play your game too, it’s easy.
#step 1: Place fingers firmly in ears.
#step 2: Yell “IM FREE, IM FREE, IM FREE”
#step 3: believe.
gollygosh, racism is not the answer.
ironic to see that a post about anon.ppl abusing others gets the most aggressive comments.
i’m glad they thought of this law cos it shows ppl realise that there are idiots causing serious problems bagging everyone on the internet.
but human beings need privacy, and it’s invaded enough as it is (tv, net). realistically, it’s a bit far-fetched that the government in kentucky can enforce this law. big brother is here
come on, who the hells the pair of legs?
Kentucky should ban inbreeding. The same as the english in Yorkshire should stop shagging sheep.
repeat after me. kentucky = Welfare state = PORK
that simple formula is how morons like couch and countless others make their careers. Yet can they be blamed? its the idiot population here that elected them. they deserve what they get..which is yet another useless tax funded department.
@dawg…wtf man…shut you toothless mouth. i seriously doubt
1. that u even live here.
2. that yor old enuff to have an educated opinion.
go join up already…iraq is waitin for you numbnutz
Wow, there are some real morons posting here…almost as moronic as the legislator trying to pass a censorship law. For all you ignorant folks who claim that “the US is as bad as Chine” or “you Americans ahve no free speech”, I respectfully submitt oyou tha tyou have no f’in clue. Free speech is codified in our constitution unlike in European countries. Between the libel laws of Britain and the “Human RIghts” speech laws of Canada, the U.S. has by far a much greater tolerance for free speech…yes, barring a few idiots like the Kentucky legislator.
HAHA
I live in Kentucky
@125: Just goes to show how wrong people can be. I am American, former Air Force Major, College Educated, pay $40,000 in taxes every year, and love my country. When azz whipes like Wibble post shuh-it about ur country you should get excited too. I don’t mind criticism, but I abhor and will jump and defend against anti-American comments or actions. This is your country too. So how about you? What have you done for your country lately?
omg…. i’m going to have to post as much as i can in kentucky. ill just use my “fake” name and adress
I can’t wait until *chan gets ahold of this…Anonymous will eat your lunch (after it finishes off the CoS).
Anonymous is everywhere. Anonymous is legion. Anonymous is always watching you.
… Whaaaaaaaaat?!
I hate my state.