There is a fine line between freedom of expression online and criminal threats to innocent people. Some say that these harsh comments are a way of therapeutically venting their feelings to the world with no intention of putting someone's life on the line. Is this right still intact however when people feel that they are in danger? This causes a problem for law enforcers when the bully claims their comment to be a joke or just a way of self-expression if no physical harm has been done. While cyber bullying is hard to be determined harmful by the law, groups such as the End to Cyber Bullying Organization work to help raise awareness for these problems and victims today. With a large support system for those affected these groups help to show how dangerous these online threats turn out to be.
Legal cases such as United States v. Drew prove the difficulties of successful justice for victims of cyberbullying. A fake MySpace account created by a neighbor, Lori Drew, and her daughter caused 13 year old Megan Meier to commit suicide after receiving comments and threats, saying how “the world would be a better place without you”. For most cases, the consequence for such a crime would be a sentence to three years in prison and a $300,000 fine, however Lori Drew ultimately received no charges due to the fact that in technicality no criminal laws were broken during the time of her use of the MySpace page. Is this a criminal offense if the child was talked down so much until she died? There comes a point when threats turn to physical harm, and those involved still get away with their crime due to indirect contact with the victim.
Opinions differ between when the law should take charge, and when the situation should be blown off. Freedom of speech by definition the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint. Questions still arise today on whether this right can still be preserved or not based on the violent threat of others shared to the general public. Most people do not have a point of view about this issue written in stone. Each case of cyberbullying differs in terms of cause and intensity, which makes others think differently. This also causes trouble when it comes in contact with the law, on whether or not the severity of case is significant. Till this day, the line between threats and the law still remain blurry, ultimately affecting how the right to people's freedom of speech is perceived in today’s society.