Tag: Social Media

‘Zombie’ misinformation: ‘Rape Day’ hoax resurfaces on TikTok

R H

Source: yahoo.com 4/30/23 The hoax that rape was legal for a day was knocked down by fact-checkers two years ago. But it went viral again this year on TikTok, illustrating what researchers call “zombie” misinformation. The stomach-churning falsehood that groups of men have declared April 24 as “National Rape Day,” giving them free rein to commit sexual violence, crept its way to TikTok fame in 2021, sparking alarm in countries including the United States and Britain. In a sea of videos, many with millions of views, terrified women declared plans…

Read More

NH: Sex Offender Accused Of Having Grindr, Facebook Accounts: Concord Log

R H

Source: patch.com 3/7/23 Daniel _____, 38, unknown address in Concord, was arrested at 12:20 p.m. on March 7 on two felony registration of online identifiers charges. _____ reported to Concord police at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 27 to update his sex offender registration — something he needs to do since he was convicted on an aggravated felonious sexual assault charge in December 2001 in Franconia. He told police he was using a vehicle purchased for him and wanted it registered. After updating the registration, _____ spoke to the detective about…

Read More

UT: Utah Signs Law Limiting Social Media Use

R H

Source: esguniversity.substack.com 3/26/23 On Thursday, Utah became the first state to enact legislation that restricts children and teens from using social media without their parents’ consent. Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed two bills into law aimed at limiting when and where anyone younger than 18 years old can interact online, and to stop companies from luring minors to certain websites. Under the law that’s due to take effect on March 1, 2024, social media companies will have to instate a curfew for minors in the state, barring them from using their…

Read More

Meta cracks down on teen “sextortion” on Facebook, Instagram

R H

Source: arstechnica.com 11/21/22 Teens will finally have a way to proactively stop the spread of intimate images. Last year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) released data showing that it received overwhelmingly more reports of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) from Facebook than any other web service it tracked. Where other popular social platforms like Twitter and TikTok had tens of thousands of reports, Facebook had 22 million. Today, Facebook announced new efforts to limit the spread of some of that CSAM on its platforms. Partnering with…

Read More

Twitch is, Vaguely, Working to Fix its Child Predator and Groomer Problem

R H

Source: gizmodo.com 11/23/22 Twitch has been hounded for months after a September report showed just how many sexual predators were stalking the streaming platform’s halls, targeting children that were not supposed to be there in the first place. Now the company says it’s developed systems to combat child sexual abuse material, though it’s not exactly sharing the details. In a Tuesday blog post, Twitch said it is working on a “constantly evolving approach” to limit harm to young people. The user-streaming platform said it’s creating phone verification requirements for “potentially…

Read More

NJ: Area men among 21 accused of being child predators

R H

Source: centraljersey.com 5/26/22 New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri announced the arrests of 21 alleged child predators in “Operation Risky Business,” a multi-agency undercover operation targeting individuals who allegedly were using social medial in an attempt to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity.  The defendants will be prosecuted by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the Division of Criminal Justice. The underage “children” were, in fact, undercover officers, according to information provided on May 26. Most of the defendants…

Read More

NJ: convicted sex offender sues for right to use social media

R H

Source: nj1015.com 6/2/22 A Camden County woman convicted of sexual crimes involving a minor is suing for her rights, and the rights of other sex offenders in New Jersey, to access social media and adult pornography. In a new lawsuit, Carmen ___ said the restrictions imposed on her by the New Jersey State Parole Board violated her First Amendment rights. The lawsuit names the NJSPB, the state, and several state officials and employees as defendants. It was filed in Mercer County Superior Court last Friday. Court records show Carmen ,…

Read More

Action Alert: Please take this OnceFallen Survey on Social Media and Persons Forced To Register

R H

Source: Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com Over the years, various individuals and groups seeking to reform and/or abolish sex offense laws have experienced harassment on social media platforms. Some, like Facebook, are known to allow attacks against Registered Persons. Law Enforcement even use social media to pass along registry information. And many social media platforms are hosts to online “anti-pedo” or “anti-Predator” groups that actively harass and threaten Registered Persons. Please take this this survey if you are a Registered Person, the loved one of a Registered Person, or if…

Read More

UK: My own pupils targeted me in the TikTok paedophile craze – now I can’t go back to our school

R H

Source: news.yahoo.com 11/23/21 Teachers have always had to expect a certain amount of stick from their pupils. It’s part of the job; normally we don’t grumble too much about it. Over my 14 years in the profession I’ve worked across nine secondary schools, teaching history in Wales, Blackpool, and Liverpool. Sometimes, I encountered challenging behavioural problems. I’ve been told to “f— off”; called an “idiot” and a “tw–”. Teenagers can be aggressive, but as a teacher you can’t take any of it to heart. We have to depersonalise the abuse,…

Read More

MI: Legal experts warn kids could face legal consequences for TikTok challenge

R H

Source: wwmt.com 11/11/21 KALAMAZOO, Mich. — TikTok “school challenges” have brought up alarming trends noticed by school districts. … He said if it is not consensual and an investigation follows, you can be charged with assault and battery. “If you don’t have consent to do something, a kiss, a touch, whatever it is, don’t do it,” Jones said. Jones said it can be worse than that. Especially if you do more than just kiss the person without consent. There can be a scenario where you grab them inappropriately. If convicted…

Read More

NY: Delaware County Sex Offender Faces New Charge

R H

[wnbf.com – 5/24?/21] A Delaware County sex offender is facing charges for failing to notify authorities of a change of address. Sheriff’s officials say they got a tip from a resident and arrested 20-year-old Tyler __ of Hamden on Tuesday, May 11 for failure to register his social media information. Authorities say Tyler __is a level three sex offender. He allegedly failed to report a Facebook screen name within ten days as required by the New York State Sex Offender Registration Act.  He’s been ordered to appear in Town of Delhi…

Read More

Tinder users will soon be able to access a background check database

R H

[engadget.com – 3/15/21] The data is coming first to Tinder, but will probably be in other Match Group apps as well. The owner of massive dating apps Tinder and Match has just announced a new partnership to help keep its users safe. Match Group, which owns Tinder, Match, OK Cupid, Hinge and several other services, has made an investment in Garbo, a non-profit, female-founded background check platform. As part of the deal, Garbo’s platform will be available to people using Match Group apps, starting with Tinder later this year. If…

Read More

NY: Federal District Court limits ban on social media for registrants

R H

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK [Excerpt from page 1:] While the Court appreciates the State’s compelling interest and laudable efforts to protect children from sex offender recidivists on the internet, New York’s attempt to advance this interest via blanket restrictions cannot be squared with the significant freedom of speech rights at stake. For the following reasons, Plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction is GRANTED. While parole officers remain free to impose individualized restrictions on supervisees based on the Registrant’s specific circumstances and risk of recidivating using…

Read More

LA: Acadia Sheriff’s deputies arrest registrants for not disclosing status on social media

R H

[katc.com – 8/6/20] Acadia Parish Sheriff’s deputies have identified seven sex offenders who have been in violation of sex offender social media laws, Sheriff KP Gibson says. Between March of 2020 and July of 2020, the sheriff’s sex offender registry unit conducted an investigation of all registered sex offenders in the parish, to ensure they were following the law regarding use of social media. They found seven registered sex offenders were using social media illegally, but not posting on their profile that they were convicted sex offenders, conviction information, address,…

Read More

MO: Sheriff’s office turns registrants into social media companies

R H

[chillicothenews.com – 6/23/20] Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 589 covers issues with Sex Offender Registration requirements. By statute, the sheriff is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for each 3rd class county and one of the sheriff’s duties is to oversee sex offender registration. At the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office we strive to make this task as easy and routine as possible for both our staff and those who must register. The registration laws are strict and we expect those who register to be open and honest in their disclosures to us…

Read More

NY: Cuomo: Make Sex Offenders Disclose Dating, Gaming User Names

R H

[nbcnewyork.com – 12/22/19] New York’s governor says convicted sex offenders should be required to disclose their social media screen names to prevent them from using apps to exploit children. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that existing laws targeting online predation don’t account for new technology. His proposal, unveiled as part of his State of the State agenda, would require sex offenders to hand over screen names for dating and gaming apps, as well. The Democrat’s proposed legislation would also make it a crime for convicted sex offenders to misrepresent themselves…

Read More

Guy Hamilton-Smith on Sex Offender Registration & Social Media [audio]

R H

[shows.pippa.io – 10/10/18] In this episode, Guy Hamilton-Smith, Legal Fellow at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center, discusses his article “The Digital Wilderness: A Decade of Exile & the False Hopes of Lester Packingham.” In Packingham v. North Carolina (2017), the Supreme Court unanimously held that the First Amendment protects the right of registered sex offenders to use social media. Nevertheless, many states make it almost impossible to exercise that right, by prosecuting technical reporting requirements as strict-liability felonies. Hamilton-Smith explains how this…

Read More

CA: Registrant on Parole Challenges Social Media Ban

Admin

A lawsuit was filed today in federal court on behalf of a registrant who is on parole in order to challenge a parole condition that prohibits him from accessing all social media. Defendants in the case include the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Secretary of CDCR and his parole officer. “Many registrants on parole are unlawfully being denied access to social media,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have determined that similar denials violate the First Amendment.” The plaintiff in…

Read More