Web Sites Weigh Problem of Posted Threats

Iria · Nov 4, 2005, 08:41 PM

LOS ANGELES - Two weeks before William Freund donned a mask and cape and fatally shot two neighbors before killing himself, members of an online forum for people with a rare mental disorder read the 19-year-old's string of violent rantings. Freund's online musings and his pre-Halloween rampage raised fresh questions about the little-policed world of Internet discussion rooms: What, if anything, should Web site gatekeepers do when users post threatening messages online?

Internet law experts generally agree there is no legal onus on site owners or users to notify police. Cyberspace is so intricate and its users often anonymous that to react to every threatening post would be impossibly time-consuming and expensive.

Still, ethicists say operators should try to alert authorities if they believe a user is serious about committing harm. While monitors of Freund's postings unsuccessfully tried to reach his parents, they didn't reach out to authorities.

"If there are signs that people are going off the deep end and we don't do anything about it, then it could have calamitous results," said Richard Spinello, a Boston College professor who specializes in technology and ethics.
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Read More / Source: SBC Yahoo! News

Vikingod · Nov 4, 2005, 08:54 PM

damn, thats awful. I am curious if Z has any comments on this subject.

Nov 4, 2005, 08:41 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Web Sites Weigh Problem of Posted Threats LOS ANGELES - Two weeks before William Freund donned a mask and cape and fatally shot two neighbors before killing himself, members of an online forum for people with a rare mental disorder read the 19-year-old's string of violent rantings. Freund's online musings and his pre-Halloween rampage raised fresh questions about the little-policed world of Internet discussion rooms: What, if anything, should Web site gatekeepers do when users post threatening messages online? Internet law experts generally agree there is no legal onus on site owners or users to notify police. Cyberspace is so intricate and its users often anonymous that to react to every threatening post would be impossibly time-consuming and expensive. Still, ethicists say operators should try to alert authorities if they believe a user is serious about committing harm. While monitors of Freund's postings unsuccessfully tried to reach his parents, they didn't reach out to authorities. "If there are signs that people are going off the deep end and we don't do anything about it, then it could have calamitous results," said Richard Spinello, a Boston College professor who specializes in technology and ethics. ____________ Read More / Source: SBC Yahoo! News

Nov 4, 2005, 08:54 PM	#2
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 112 System Specs	damn, thats awful. I am curious if Z has any comments on this subject.