MADgeek

WAYS YOU CAN GET INTO LEGAL TROUBLE ON THE INTERNET

Some of the obvious areas where users can get themselves into trouble are through downloading and/or sharing content that infringes upon intellectual property rights, which is illegal under federal law. If you are flagged for such a copyright violation, you could lose your internet service and even face a copyright infringement lawsuit by the holder of the copyrighted material which you downloaded and/or streamed. It is also illegal to share another person's pictures or words on websites without their permission. This is considered copyright infringement if you are the owner, and the perpetrator could face fines and possible prison time. Keep this in mind while posting defamatory content, you could be sued and lose a defamation lawsuit, especially if the court decides that you knew the posts were not true and that you had malicious intent when you made such statements. Also keep in mind that searching for news articles or fictional novels depicting terrorism is fine, but these types of searches can still alarm the authorities though. If they suspect you are a terrorist, you could be arrested and detained indefinitely. Some specifics include joining online terrorist organizations, making threats, or encouraging others to commit terroristic acts. Keep in mind a search for firearms or explosive devices can also attract the attention of the authorities. Also, searching for terms related to illegal drugs specifically referring to the finding and/or purchasing these drugs may raise the eyebrows of those watching your internet connection as well. Last but not least, child pornography is defined as sexual and exploitative actions featuring minors under the age of 18. This type of content includes images, videos and even drawings. Possessing and/or viewing these will lead to arrest and serious legal consequences. Individuals will not only get arrested when viewing this type of pornography but under certain circumstances for merely searching for such content. Keep in mind also that the federal law stating it is illegal to transfer any type of pornography over state lines is still on the books. This technically this means all internet porn including images and videos of adults is also illegal under federal law. Since no statutory immunities exist to shield users, the standard laws on these crimes still apply...