Instagram now bans registered sex offenders

[floridaactioncommittee.org 4/30/18]

On April 19, 2018, Facebook owned Instagram, revised it’s Terms of Use.

The new version replaces the prior version, which had been in place since 2013, can be found here: http://help.instagram.com/581066165581870?helpref=page_content

Sadly, included in this months change is a ban on anyone registered as a sex offender. The restriction did not appear in the prior version.

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Sometimes there are decent laws to protect people. Are we all now sex traffickers? You know even Higher courts believe this to be unconstitutional. What is Instagram the new World Order? This is total BS!! We let these corporations become way to powerful and now they are running our lives. First of all, show me the proof that this will in anyway stop any type of sex offense and or protect anyone. Second off all of us who do use Instagram and have been active for years, we are now going to mysteriously disappear? BS, now anyone who knows us ( Instagram and obviously Facebook next) will be like Huh? OH I see they are sex offenders! So now we get further exposer because we were kicked off for What again? They have no clue of our crimes, just one big paint stroke. We should sue these jack offs for defamation and alienation. What are we suppose to just start writing daily letters to our friends. Facebook and Instagram are for sharing our lives with our family and friends. This decision totally lacks merit and will hurt a lot of people due to being again pushed out. Yeah we read you clear Instagram you want us living under a Friken rock and not able to speak or even have friends . Well I got something for them F U Aholes.

I wonder if this matter would be ripe for a lawsuit since CA Penal Code 290.46(l)(2) prohibits the use of the Megan’s Law website for purposes related to “Benefits, privileges, or services provided by any business establishment.”* Facebook / Instagram is based in California and thus is subject to California law. There is a “Report a Convicted Sex Offender” form on Facebook** which asks for documentation, such as “a listing in a national sex offender registry, a court document, or an online news article.” I do not know if Facebook conducts its own independent cross-referencing to find registrants in its user database or if they rely solely on third party reports using the above-mentioned form. I suspect that in either case, the vast majority of suspensions result from information gleaned directly from the Megan’s Law website, which would be illegal pursuant to PC 290.46(l)(2) and make Facebook liable for a tremendous amount of damages, which the statute expressly provides for.

I am a resident of California and my Facebook always gets deleted after 3-6 months. I am considering litigation against Facebook. I could care less about the social media aspect of Facebook, although I know it’s important to many people. It’s more the fact that Facebook is now so ubiquitous, by not having a profile, you are excluded from so many aspects of life, such as college courses, job opportunities, the ability to access third party websites that use Facebook as the only means to login, and so on.

There is already a pending lawsuit against Facebook which alleges illegal age discrimination due to targeted job ads.*** Where California law now offers protection for registrants, it seems this would likewise be a form of discrimination. Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, some believe Facebook will become a regulated public utility anyway.****

I would be interested in anyone’s thoughts related to PC 290.46(l)(2) and how it may apply to Facebook / Instagram. Such litigation could set a useful precedent by warning other businesses (“any business establishment”) that they are prohibited from using the registry to deny “benefits, privileges, or services.”

*CA Penal Code 290.46(l)(2)
http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-290-46.html

**Facebook – Report a Convicted Sex Offender
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/207005222725325

***Facebook ads targeting younger workers discriminate against older workers, lawsuit alleges
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2017/12/20/facebook-ads-targeting-younger-workers-discriminate-against-older-workers-lawsuit-alleges/971586001/

****Facebook is destined to become a regulated public utility
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/facebook-cambridge-analytica-regulation-regulated-public-utility-a8267226.html

KEEP THE FOCUS on the right target! The target should be the REGISTRY, not the myriad secondary injustices that are enabled by the Registry such as FaceBook and Instagram bans. If you get rid of the Registry, you get rid of all of the rest of that awfulness. Ask yourself how you can contribute to ACSOL, NARSOL and any other individuals or groups fighting the Registry or act on your own intiative and put all of your sense of outrage into that struggle. Focused, directed, consistent action and outrage; that’s what it takes. Let’s not dissipate our energies. When we have successfully coalesced into an organization that can bring many thousands of people together in protest, say, at the U.S. Capitol, then we might want to think about suing Facebook.

A friend of mine who is a sex offender made facebook and instagram as well as 2 other people i know. They used unregistered phone numbers that the registery does not know about like an extra phone line and even new email accounts as well as uses fake names and everything else. They still have facebook and instagram now over 5 years. Everyone who they have on their friends list knows about the sex offence charges and ok with it. The only way to come to find out if you find that your accounts been deleted is because someone else like an ex spouse hates you then reports to facebook and instagram about your accounts. Other than that yeah like everyone on here says it unfair that these company’s can wipe away freedom of speech which facebook and instagram is a form of speech right. It just sucks. Next thing is even having an email prob will ban sex offenders too. Who knows what this world is made of anymore.

well in CA the ‘internet’ identifier was I believe anyone convicted after xx month in 2017. so if your before that you dont have to give them CRAP for email etc…

Also in CA as long as your not on parole/prob (unless u wanna make a hassle and get a parole radio etc… do not give them a phone number period it is NOT REQUIRED, just a address/work and that is IT ! Ive got multiple cars, #2 is NOT in my name its in a business name, so NOT registered to me, technically NOT OWNED by me (im not the only one on the business fictitious name) Plus the last option is it has to be REGULARLY driven by you well if you got another car ans use that more its open to interpretation ! so there CA go screw yourself !!