New Arizona law will make Internet trolling illegal

Anonymous, internet-based antagonism may soon be punishable by law in the American state of Arizona. A new bill, already passed through both legislative houses and now just waiting on the governer’s signature, means any attempts to “terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend” others using “ANY ELECTRONIC OR DIGITAL DEVICE” could land a backtraced offender in trouble with the cyber-police.

In full, Arizona House Bill 2549 stipulates that:

“It is unlawful for any person, with intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend, to use a ANY ELECTRONIC OR DIGITAL DEVICE and use any obscene, lewd or profane language or suggest any lewd or lascivious act, or threaten to inflict physical harm to the person or property of any person.”

Good thing I don’t live there, because that totally describes my weekly Gears of War Wednesday.

Whether or not the bill actually passes remains to be seen. Freedom of speech is kind of, like, important too.