The Internet has become an integral part of society in the past couple of years. Thanks to popular Web sites like MySpace and Facebook, the Internet is increasingly becoming a place to socialize and meet new people. However, this phenomenon has rather unpleasant consequences and requires our legal system to catch up to modern times.

The amount of personal information located online is astounding. People post pictures, birthdays and addresses on Facebook like it's no big deal. Users of the Internet should really think about the prudency of making private details available to the public, though.

Put yourself in a stalker's shoes. Like everyone else, serial stalkers have unfettered access to computers. Facebook is a stalker's dream come true, and I'm not just talking about that creepy guy from your math class. Dangerous people merely need to create a fake account and browse through profiles to pick their next victim, which is a very unsettling thought.

"Cyberstalking" is more common than most people may think. Working to Halt Online Abuse, an organization dedicated to educate people about "online harassment, empower victims of harassment, and formulate voluntary policies that systems administrators can adopt in order to create harassment-free environments," received about 50 reports a week of cyberstalking in 2005. Surprisingly, many of the people guilty of these acts do not have criminal records.

Social networks allow young people to keep in touch with friends and meet new people with similar interests. Of course, people should be wary of befriending a stranger online. You never know who's on the other end of the computer. Take everything an online acquaintance says with a grain of salt and never reveal important information with a random person through the Internet.

Admittedly, talking to people from all over the country is fun. After all, they have no clue who you are so you can always build up your self-image. However, lying to people whom you will never meet is no way to inflate confidence. In fact, it is borderline pathetic.

While not everyone who frequents social networks will end up being victims of stalking or worse, some cases of Internet abuse are incredibly severe. Since ambiguous laws govern cyberspace, people guilty of heinous acts can often walk away unpunished.

For example, a case gaining growing popularity across the country is that of Megan Meier, a 13-year-old girl who hanged herself after a neighbor allegedly created a fake MySpace account in order to harass Meier. The adult neighbor will face no charges because none can be filed under current Missouri laws.
Obviously, prosecutors should not send the harassing neighbor to prison for murder. However, no one can claim that the demeaning messages that the woman sent to Meier did not have an indirect effect on her decision to commit suicide. Claiming the neighbor was not responsible for Meier's death would be analogous to saying that a drug dealer has no part in a junkie's overdose.
Meier's death will go unpunished because the laws concerning interactions in cyberspace are inherently flawed. Many of them are ambiguous about the definition of harassment, making it difficult for prosecutors to file charges under these laws.

According to WHOA, many laws dealing with online harassment apply only to situations in which the victim is a minor. Thus, anyone older than 18 will have difficulty seeking justice when online misconduct victimizes them.

Another problem with current laws is that a person must explicitly threaten someone else with violence for the law to apply. According to CBS, "the ‘credible threat' laws don't protect against electronic communications such as a barrage of emails that harass but don't actually threaten."

Though 45 states have laws about cyberstalking, four states have no legislation concerning this issue. In addition, no federal laws govern online behavior.

Difficulties arise during the drafting of legislation because lawmakers must be careful not to impede on the freedom of speech. Reducing civil liberties will only lead to opposition against laws aimed to protect people from cyberbullying and cyberstalking.

I don't believe that lawmakers should attempt to restrict the Internet through legislation that kills free speech and supports annoying people who file lawsuits for petty claims (like those people who sue McDonald's for making their coffee too hot). However, laws can be strengthened a great deal to punish serious online offenders without contradicting the constitution.