Online Impersonation (H 7845A, S 2624B)

Yet another problematic part of the Attorney General’s package of computer crimes legislation made it a crime to use “the name or persona of another person” to create a web page, send an e-mail or otherwise post on the internet without the person’s consent, including the name of elected officials. The ACLU testified that the legislation could easily criminalize a variety of protected free speech, including satirical political websites and emails attacking a lawmaker’s past dealings. Despite the legislation’s clear First Amendment issues, the House and Senate approved the legislation in June.