[Random-bits] Carl Kaplan: Texas Lawsuit Says Web Cookies Allow Illegal Stalking

James Love love@cptech.org
Fri, 18 Feb 2000 09:02:14 -0500


Yet another example of why government officials need to be thinking more
seriously about how the Internet will lead to new political changes to
address the law of cyberspace.   State based cookies laws seem like a
crazy way to do things, but what is the best alternative?     Jamie


http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/02/cyber/cyberlaw/18law.html

Feb 18, 2000

 By CARL S. KAPLAN 
 Lawsuit Says Web Cookies Allow Illegal Stalking


Under the law of Texas, a person who follows another person around
repeatedly in a way that is calculated to cause the victim to fear for
his
safety or the safety of his family or property is guilty of the crime of
stalking. 


Obviously, the law would apply to a crazed fan who shows up with a
baseball
at at a movie starlet's home every Saturday night. 

But in the Internet age, can the Texas law be applied to
a Web site owner that is accused of electronically
monitoring the browsing habits of its customers? 

  [snip]


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James Love, Director           | http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology | mailto:love@cptech.org 
P.O. Box 19367                 | voice: 1.202.387.8030
Washington, DC 20036           | fax:   1.202.234.5176
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