Online harassment may also be indirect. The harasser may impersonate the victim and send abusive or fraudulent e-mails in the victim’s name. The victim may be subscribed to mailing lists without his or her consent with the result that hundreds of unwanted e-mails are received every day.

Hostile Usenet posts about the victim may appear or the perpetrator may spread vicious rumours about the victim online leaving abuse messages about the victim on website guest books. The harasser may even transmit offensive or altered images of the victim to websites or provide personal information about the victim online.

Internet anonymity is not as impenetrable as some users may think. The true identity of users who make contact with victims via a pseudonym may be gained by contacting the third party provider who has retained details of the pseudonym’s real identity. The Finish re-mailer www.penet.fi retained logs and details of users which were later seized by the Police to track down online offenders11. Cookies, a software device deposited on the hard drive of a person’s PC on visiting a particular website, can be used to ascertain an individual’s true identity in that it supplies information to the website owner or controller which may assist in identification.

Criminal Harassment

Harassment is criminal where the first person intends to cause the other person to fear for his or her, or a family member’s, safety, or the first person knows that the harassment is likely to cause the other person, in his or her particular circumstances, such fear.32 Every person who commits an offence on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.33

Conclusion

Internet users are entitled to assume a safe environment and that those with whom they interact online will treat them with respect. For those who fall below the norms of acceptable behaviour in the "real world" sanctions may be imposed or remedies may be available to the victim.

Although it has been a perception that the Internet is a free-wheeling "rule-free" "anything goes" environment this is not in fact so.

If one view the Internet as a communication system involving real people in a fixed and identifiable location, it is clear that the law must apply. When one removes the technology and considers the nature of the behaviour it may be clear that it falls within the ambit of harassment of domestic violence. The technology may be used as a smokescreen for offensive or unacceptable behaviour but it is clear that the law provides remedies for misbehaviour on the Internet but, by the same token, Internet users should not be oblivious to the potential for dangerous or risky contacts made and communications sent in cyberspace. In the same way that one avoids potentially risky confrontations or situations in the real world, one should behave similarly on the Internet.

Copyright 2003 Judge David Harvey.

(1) A person is guilty of cyberstalking if he or she, with intent to harass, intimidate, torment, or embarrass any other person, and under circumstances not constituting telephone harassment, makes an electronic communication to such other person or a third party:

(a) Using any lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene words, images, or language, or suggesting the commission of any lewd or lascivious act;

(b) Anonymously or repeatedly whether or not conversation occurs; or

(c) Threatening to inflict injury on the person or property of the person called or any member of his or her family or household.

(2) Cyberstalking is a gross misdemeanor, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section.

(3) Cyberstalking is a class C felony if either of the following applies:

(a) The perpetrator has previously been convicted of the crime of harassment, as defined in RCW 9A.46.060, with the same victim or a member of the victim's family or household or any person specifically named in a no-contact order or no-harassment order in this or any other state; or

(b) The perpetrator engages in the behavior prohibited under subsection (1)(c) of this section by threatening to kill the person threatened or any other person.

(4) Any offense committed under this section may be deemed to have been committed either at the place from which the communication was made or at the place where the communication was received.

(5) For purposes of this section, "electronic communication" means the transmission of information by wire, radio, optical cable, electromagnetic, or other similar means. "Electronic communication" includes, but is not limited to, electronic mail, internet-based communications, pager service, and electronic text messaging.

A number of key factors have been identified:

False accusations. Many cyberstalkers try to damage the reputation of their victim and turn other people against them. They post false information about them on websites. They may set up their own websites, blogs or user pages for this purpose. They post allegations about the victim to newsgroups, chat rooms or other sites that allow public contributions, such as Wikipedia or Amazon.com.

Encouraging others to harass the victim. Many cyberstalkers try to involve third parties in the harassment. They may claim the victim has harmed the stalker or his/her family in some way, or may post the victim's name and telephone number in order to encourage others to join the pursuit.

Cyber-stalking? As if you were worth it. I am merely cyber-insulting you. Christ what a cry-baby.

What does that even mean, rapist? I am on here after work. You heard of that? Work?

I'll stick to calling you a sweaty creep, a loser, and other things that are quantifiably true.

This is not your home. Nobody calls the internets "home" except friendless virgin neck-beards.

Please, stay away from Slog for a while. Your humor falls flat. Your contributions are worthless. Go find something better to do.

You bitch about how women won't date you, then you stew in here posting randomly in every thread.

Go make some friends. Develop some hobbies. Get out of your rut, develop some meaningful interests. Make yourself interesting and learn to have real conversations. Stop being such a puke. Give SLOG a break for a while.

Or, y'know, continue stewing in here working yourself up over nothing. 'Cause that's so clearly working so well for you.