Over the past week or so, I have found myself thinking a lot about how social media is going to continue to shape society. While it has already shaped our personal lives and how brands interact with their customers as well as how companies hire employees, there is one area of our society in which it will have a bigger impact – the law.

I am no lawyer, but I can say that a teen and his family were very happy when a Facebook status update kept him out of jail. Another teen was equally unhappy when he was convicted after  checking Facebook while committing robbery.  Both sides of the coin were covered with similar issues and both were new defenses and convictions for the states.

In terms of alibis, this is something that I don’t think is too serious for the law, however, there are three new developments (only two in the US) could shape the law as we currently know it – all due to social media.

The first development has been on the New England airways over the past week and a half concerning the 508 Masterminds, who, in a nutshell, created a YouTube rap video in which they threatens to kill a police officer and one of the rappers’  probation officer. Needless to say the group was arrested and charged with numerous violations and have pleaded not guilty. Their lawyer is claiming that the video is freedom of speech, but Google has removed it from YouTube for TOS violations and the prosecutor is holding the duo without bail.

By claiming the first amendment, the lawyer knows that he is playing with fire and one of the country’s favorite add-ons to the Constitution. He can reference Ice-T’s Cop Killer or other outrageous statements that were protected under the first,  but he can’t hide from the fact that that the pair from New Bedford mentioned the police officer and the parole officer by name along with images of weapons being pointed at them which may lead to charges for threats against  public servants.

There are also folks who think that there is nothing wrong with the rappers posting (from Bloggers Base):

I don’t really want to defend these guys but at the same time, I don’t want it to become a trend where people are being arrested for a poor choice of lyrics for their terrible songs.  Luckily, we live in a country where you can pretty much say anything because of the First Amendment, regardless of how stupid or ignorant it might be.

He does make a good point, but try telling parents at A.E. Wright Middle School in California that the threats of a Ginger Attack were simply just threats and protected under freedom of speech. If you haven’t heard about these attacks,  seven children with red hair were injured after a Facebook message announced that it was Kick a Ginger Day, much like the South Park episode. The difference was that unlike in the show, people actually got hurt. Earlier today, three juveniles were arrested.

One would have to think that eventually the laws that the prosecutors are defending will be challenged with arguments like the first amendment, this is private, and it was just a joke. There will also be rebuttals to charges placed with social media as hard evidence. I know that this will take time, my real question is where is the line drawn between stupid things being said (covered under the 1st) and threats?

Unfortunately it is a question that will have to be answered in the coming months, but as we have seen we live in a society that really can’t be completely responsible in an age where you have to be on 24/7 in a self-created fish bowl?

Am I over-reacting or is this something that you see affecting the way that our society will continue to be shaped?

Oh and if you were wondering what the third issue was, we need to travel South of our borders and into Columbia. After a death threat was placed against the son of the country’s president, their government and the FBI tracked down the poster and arrested them with the intention of prosecution. So yes, the wheels are already in motion.

Image The United Families International Blog

Over the past week or so, I have found myself thinking a lot about how social media is going to continue to shape society. While it has already shaped our personal lives and how brands interact with their customers as well as how companies hire employees, there is one area of our society in which it will have a bigger impact – the law.

I am no lawyer, but I can say that a teen and his family were very happy when a Facebook status update kept him out of jail. Another teen was equally unhappy when he was convicted after  checking Facebook while committing robbery.  Both sides of the coin were covered with similar issues and both were new defenses and convictions for the states.

In terms of alibis, this is something that I don’t think is too serious for the law, however, there are three new developments (only two in the US) could shape the law as we currently know it – all due to social media.

The first development has been on the New England airways over the past week and a half concerning the 508 Masterminds, who, in a nutshell, created a YouTube rap video in which they threatens to kill a police officer and one of the rappers’  probation officer. Needless to say the group was arrested and charged with numerous violations and have pleaded not guilty. Their lawyer is claiming that the video is freedom of speech, but Google has removed it from YouTube for TOS violations and the prosecutor is holding the duo without bail.

By claiming the first amendment, the lawyer knows that he is playing with fire and one of the country’s favorite add-ons to the Constitution. He can reference Ice-T’s Cop Killer or other outrageous statements that were protected under the first,  but he can’t hide from the fact that that the pair from New Bedford mentioned the police officer and the parole officer by name along with images of weapons being pointed at them which may lead to charges for threats against  public servants.

There are also folks who think that there is nothing wrong with the rappers posting (from Bloggers Base):

I don’t really want to defend these guys but at the same time, I don’t want it to become a trend where people are being arrested for a poor choice of lyrics for their terrible songs.  Luckily, we live in a country where you can pretty much say anything because of the First Amendment, regardless of how stupid or ignorant it might be.

He does make a good point, but try telling parents at A.E. Wright Middle School in California that the threats of a Ginger Attack were simply just threats and protected under freedom of speech. If you haven’t heard about these attacks,  seven children with red hair were injured after a Facebook message announced that it was Kick a Ginger Day, much like the South Park episode. The difference was that unlike in the show, people actually got hurt. Earlier today, three juveniles were arrested.

One would have to think that eventually the laws that the prosecutors are defending will be challenged with arguments like the first amendment, this is private, and it was just a joke. There will also be rebuttals to charges placed with social media as hard evidence. I know that this will take time, my real question is where is the line drawn between stupid things being said (covered under the 1st) and threats?

Unfortunately it is a question that will have to be answered in the coming months, but as we have seen we live in a society that really can’t be completely responsible in an age where you have to be on 24/7 in a self-created fish bowl?

Am I over-reacting or is this something that you see affecting the way that our society will continue to be shaped?

Oh and if you were wondering what the third issue was, we need to travel South of our borders and into Columbia. After a death threat was placed against the son of the country’s president, their government and the FBI tracked down the poster and arrested them with the intention of prosecution. So yes, the wheels are already in motion.

Image The United Families International Blog

Over the past week or so, I have found myself thinking a lot about how social media is going to continue to shape society. While it has already shaped our personal lives and how brands interact with their customers as well as how companies hire employees, there is one area of our society in which it will have a bigger impact – the law.

I am no lawyer, but I can say that a teen and his family were very happy when a Facebook status update kept him out of jail. Another teen was equally unhappy when he was convicted after  checking Facebook while committing robbery.  Both sides of the coin were covered with similar issues and both were new defenses and convictions for the states.

In terms of alibis, this is something that I don’t think is too serious for the law, however, there are three new developments (only two in the US) could shape the law as we currently know it – all due to social media.

The first development has been on the New England airways over the past week and a half concerning the 508 Masterminds, who, in a nutshell, created a YouTube rap video in which they threatens to kill a police officer and one of the rappers’  probation officer. Needless to say the group was arrested and charged with numerous violations and have pleaded not guilty. Their lawyer is claiming that the video is freedom of speech, but Google has removed it from YouTube for TOS violations and the prosecutor is holding the duo without bail.

By claiming the first amendment, the lawyer knows that he is playing with fire and one of the country’s favorite add-ons to the Constitution. He can reference Ice-T’s Cop Killer or other outrageous statements that were protected under the first,  but he can’t hide from the fact that that the pair from New Bedford mentioned the police officer and the parole officer by name along with images of weapons being pointed at them which may lead to charges for threats against  public servants.

There are also folks who think that there is nothing wrong with the rappers posting (from Bloggers Base):

I don’t really want to defend these guys but at the same time, I don’t want it to become a trend where people are being arrested for a poor choice of lyrics for their terrible songs.  Luckily, we live in a country where you can pretty much say anything because of the First Amendment, regardless of how stupid or ignorant it might be.

He does make a good point, but try telling parents at A.E. Wright Middle School in California that the threats of a Ginger Attack were simply just threats and protected under freedom of speech. If you haven’t heard about these attacks,  seven children with red hair were injured after a Facebook message announced that it was Kick a Ginger Day, much like the South Park episode. The difference was that unlike in the show, people actually got hurt. Earlier today, three juveniles were arrested.

One would have to think that eventually the laws that the prosecutors are defending will be challenged with arguments like the first amendment, this is private, and it was just a joke. There will also be rebuttals to charges placed with social media as hard evidence. I know that this will take time, my real question is where is the line drawn between stupid things being said (covered under the 1st) and threats?

Unfortunately it is a question that will have to be answered in the coming months, but as we have seen we live in a society that really can’t be completely responsible in an age where you have to be on 24/7 in a self-created fish bowl?

Am I over-reacting or is this something that you see affecting the way that our society will continue to be shaped?

Oh and if you were wondering what the third issue was, we need to travel South of our borders and into Columbia. After a death threat was placed against the son of the country’s president, their government and the FBI tracked down the poster and arrested them with the intention of prosecution. So yes, the wheels are already in motion.

Image The United Families International Blog

Over the past week or so, I have found myself thinking a lot about how social media is going to continue to shape society. While it has already shaped our personal lives and how brands interact with their customers as well as how companies hire employees, there is one area of our society in which it will have a bigger impact – the law.

I am no lawyer, but I can say that a teen and his family were very happy when a Facebook status update kept him out of jail. Another teen was equally unhappy when he was convicted after  checking Facebook while committing robbery.  Both sides of the coin were covered with similar issues and both were new defenses and convictions for the states.

In terms of alibis, this is something that I don’t think is too serious for the law, however, there are three new developments (only two in the US) could shape the law as we currently know it – all due to social media.

The first development has been on the New England airways over the past week and a half concerning the 508 Masterminds, who, in a nutshell, created a YouTube rap video in which they threatens to kill a police officer and one of the rappers’  probation officer. Needless to say the group was arrested and charged with numerous violations and have pleaded not guilty. Their lawyer is claiming that the video is freedom of speech, but Google has removed it from YouTube for TOS violations and the prosecutor is holding the duo without bail.

By claiming the first amendment, the lawyer knows that he is playing with fire and one of the country’s favorite add-ons to the Constitution. He can reference Ice-T’s Cop Killer or other outrageous statements that were protected under the first,  but he can’t hide from the fact that that the pair from New Bedford mentioned the police officer and the parole officer by name along with images of weapons being pointed at them which may lead to charges for threats against  public servants.

There are also folks who think that there is nothing wrong with the rappers posting (from Bloggers Base):

I don’t really want to defend these guys but at the same time, I don’t want it to become a trend where people are being arrested for a poor choice of lyrics for their terrible songs.  Luckily, we live in a country where you can pretty much say anything because of the First Amendment, regardless of how stupid or ignorant it might be.

He does make a good point, but try telling parents at A.E. Wright Middle School in California that the threats of a Ginger Attack were simply just threats and protected under freedom of speech. If you haven’t heard about these attacks,  seven children with red hair were injured after a Facebook message announced that it was Kick a Ginger Day, much like the South Park episode. The difference was that unlike in the show, people actually got hurt. Earlier today, three juveniles were arrested.

One would have to think that eventually the laws that the prosecutors are defending will be challenged with arguments like the first amendment, this is private, and it was just a joke. There will also be rebuttals to charges placed with social media as hard evidence. I know that this will take time, my real question is where is the line drawn between stupid things being said (covered under the 1st) and threats?

Unfortunately it is a question that will have to be answered in the coming months, but as we have seen we live in a society that really can’t be completely responsible in an age where you have to be on 24/7 in a self-created fish bowl?

Am I over-reacting or is this something that you see affecting the way that our society will continue to be shaped?

Oh and if you were wondering what the third issue was, we need to travel South of our borders and into Columbia. After a death threat was placed against the son of the country’s president, their government and the FBI tracked down the poster and arrested them with the intention of prosecution. So yes, the wheels are already in motion.

Image The United Families International Blog