One of the cases the Supreme Court handed down this week is likely to produce unpredictable results in terms of both digital privacy and free speech. It involves the conviction and imprisonment of a Colorado man named Billy Raymond Counterman. Back in 2010, Counterman was a big fan of an up-and-coming singer named Coles Whalen. And we mean a really big fan. He reached out on Facebook and began sending her messages. When she failed to respond, the messages became more frequent and less adoring. She described them as being threatening and disturbing. Whalen complained to law enforcement and in 2016, Counterman was arrested, convicted, and spent four and a half years in jail. His appeal finally reached the Supreme Court and on Tuesday they ruled in Counterman’s favor, vacating his record. So was this a victory for free speech or an invitation to online stalkers to behave badly? (ABC News)Read More
The online stalking free speech question
