I wish this was going to turn out to be some exaggerated headline but it's not. The freedom of speech of people living in Tennessee is at risk.
Tennessee legislature has updated some laws to keep up with the modern world and the Internet age, and one of those laws now makes it illegal to distribute images on the internet that are offensive.
Posting or emailing images that cause "emotional distress" to an individual can land you in jail. The offended person doesn't even have to be the recipient. Meaning if you sent some F'd up pic to a friend, whom you knew would enjoy it, and their mom happens to see it on their computer and SHE is offended... you could face MONTHS in jail and THOUSANDS of dollars in fines.
This means ANY offensive image. Like if you post a pic on FB and your friend's ex-boyfriend is in the shot and your friend is offended at seeing her d-bag ex... she could call the cops? What if a picture of a monster or a ghost or a deformed person or animal scares a little kid? Call 911?
The internet is pretty much composed of graphic, disturbing, disgusting, distressing, upsetting, bizarre, criminal, radical, questionable and pornographic images. Maybe they should arrest Al Gore since he invented the internet.
Think about it... I mean if you post a pic of your latest tat, piercing or body modification art... something people do all the time... and someone is offended...
You could be in serious trouble.
The law is downright unconstitutional. As one blogger points out, "The law doesn't require that the picture be of the "victim," nor would the government need to prove that you intended the image to be distressing." You might not even realize the image you're posting or sending is offensive. Doesn't matter.
If you don't want to be offended or don't want you kids to see offensive things on the internet... maybe instead of making laws you should create an app that filters out all offensive or possibly offensive images and content. Some kind of "G-Rated Internet" app or program. That way anyone who wants to can filter out anything that they find offensive, could do it themselves. How am I supposed to know what is going to offend someone else?
Making the distribution of "offensive" images (with no clear definition of what is offensive to whom) is complete bullcandy.
What do you think about the new Tennessee law?
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