This petition is being brought specifically to address the organized online harassment and cyber stalking of the type that occurred against the actress Leslie Jones on July 18th, 2016. Section 2 of U.S. Code Title 18 Part 1 Chapter 110A-2261A specifically provides for prosecution against those who engage in an online course of conduct likely to cause substantial emotional distress to an individual. Protections need to be put in place, specifically for public figures, against false statements designed to look as if originating from said figure. Part of the freedom and responsibility of using the internet as an adult is to be able to ignore racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise hateful speech from others. But hate speech goes beyond that when online impersonation and defamation occurs.
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