Every year, the FBI records approximately 800,000 online cyber crimes. While we’re all glad when law enforcement cracks down on cyber crimes, more and more people, and especially teens, are finding themselves in legal trouble for misunderstanding the laws around cyber crime, social media, internet use, and other everyday platforms.

it’s estimated that Over 400 million people become victims of everything from cyberbullying to social media crimes. Teens are often in the crosshairs of law enforcement when it comes to cyberbullying and social media misdeeds.

But the definition of “cyberbullying” and “social media” are vague and often confusing. Because of this, it’s easy to see why a growing number of people, young and old, are surprised when the the police come knocking at their door.

Online crimes are tricky to pin down at times. But make no mistake, crimes on social media may have consequences just as severe as those in real life–and in some cases, even more severe.

It may seem obvious which things you shouldn’t do online. Solicitation of a minor or making death threats are two common examples. But many may be surprised to learn that everyday, seemingly innocuous activities are actually grounds for legal penalties.

In this guide, we aim to discuss crimes on social media that are often confusing and many may not realize were illegal. Read on for five examples of things you should never do whether on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

1. Social Media Crimes Include Using Copyrighted Material

Using copyrighted material can get you into hot water fast. Imagine one day you are Googling for a specific picture. You find one, save it, and then immediately publish it to your social media profile. Unless the image had a Creative Commons license, what you have just done might be a crime.

Copyright law is pretty straightforward: the creator of an image or video has the right to it. That means no one else has the right to use or profit from a particular image. The only way to do so is after having received explicit, written consent.

Now, it’s important to understand that copyright law can get very tricky. So tricky in fact, that you may need a chart to help you determine if you can share or use an image.

Generally speaking, we recommend against posting an image, video, or song that is not your own. The owner of that material could take you to court and demand damages from you.

Are There Exceptions to This Rule?

There are exceptions but it’s best to err on the side of caution. One example of an exception is posting a friend’s picture, or one with a Creative Commons license. Further, you may not suffer any punishment for reposting a copyrighted image. The original poster would suffer the consequences in that situation.

If we are being realistic, though, 99% of people my not realize they’ve posted copyrighted material. It becomes a serious issue when they make a profit off of it. For example, using a copyrighted song in a YouTube video.

Be sure that any images or materials you post are not copyrighted. There are online services that provide non-copyrighted material and can help you avoid trouble with the law.

2. Providing False Information

This is a very common occurrence that can land you in trouble. For example, visiting a website that has an age requirement, and lying about your age. Most people, especially minors, don’t realize this seemingly innocent action can land them in hot water.

Social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram have been making headlines recently for cracking down on fake profiles and other misleading information. It’s a crime to threaten harm or hurt people online, even with a fake account. Further, someone can be sued for defamation or other damages if they pretend to be someone else or causing damage to one’s reputation. Again, the laws are vague but the consequences can be very real.

This is especially the case when concerning crimes for minors. Teens or children may, for many reasons, label themselves as an adult in their profile.

However, this is against the law–and can land those they interact with online in real trouble. This is especially true if they are using social media for dating. If a minor provides false information or a false age, they can face legal consequences.

3. Impersonating Another Person

As mentioned above, it’s illegal to impersonate another person. However, parody accounts may be protected under free speech. Still, taking parody too far can lead to legal repercussions.

Using a fake ID in real life is illegal. Similarly, impersonating another person online can also be illegal. Parody accounts are acceptable, but there are specific rules and guidelines that must be followed to avoid crossing the line. For example, it must be blatantly clear that an account is a parody. How exactly one defines “blatantly clear” is anyone’s guess.

Law enforcement is an exception and often uses fake online profiles to track down cyber criminals or online predators. Online sting operations are a growing part of police work because they are cheap to conduct, pose little risk to the officers, and can provide a digital trail of evidence when or if an arrest is made.

Put simply, it’s best for most people to steer clear of impersonating another person online to avoid problems with the law.

4. Recording a Call Without Someone’s Consent

Perhaps, in order to gather evidence on a sketchy business or person, you record a Facebook or Instagram call with them. You do so secretly, without warning them. Your intention, after all, is to catch them in the act.

Texas is a one-party consent state. In other words, unless you are one of the parties on the call, you can’t record a conversation between two people without their consent. However, there are guidelines to how that recording may be used or submitted to a third party.

If for some reason you need to record a call, make sure you are adhering to Texas guidelines and don’t record calls or conversations of others without their consent. Public places, such as malls or sporting events, are often exempt from the privacy rules but even then can have some stipulations depending on the type of recording.

5. Uploading Pictures of Someone Without Consent

Your First Amendment rights allow you to take pictures of anyone you like in a public space. It’s only in places with a “reasonable expectation of privacy” where that is not the case. For example, on the premises of private property.

Say you go to a friend’s house for a party and take a picture of them or someone else there. If you don’t know them well, ask them for permission to post their pictures. They have every right–if they so desire–to take you to court over posting these pictures against their consent.

Get Representation With Non Stop Justice

Social media laws continue to evolve and the confusion around what’s legal and illegal is common. In this article we briefly covered some common situations such as impersonating another person, providing false information about yourself, and profiting off copyrighted content. But this is just a small sample of the many laws surrounding social media and the legal issues that people in every community may face.

When it comes to online and social media use, it’s best to proceed with caution. However, if you or a loved one have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, such as online solicitation or other cyber crimes, Montgomery county criminal defense attorney Andrea M. Kolski has the experience and skills to insure your rights are protected. She’s been fighting and winning in Texas tough criminal courts for over 22 years. Andrea’s record of success is second to none. Contact us today for a free case review.

It’s no secret we live in a connected world. With over four billion global internet users, it seems everyone on the planet is linked via the World Wide Web. Internet, broadband, and high-speed data certainly have their benefits, but there is also a dark side to these rapidly evolving technologies. Many users are unaware of the illegal content and activities flowing through the very same networks they use every day. Like it or not, the internet has a dark side and it’s important to understand the very real dangers lurking just a few clicks away. In this article, we will cover the items that are illegal to watch on the internet here in the US.

Online sexual imagery, videos, pornography, and other illegal content can be easily uploaded and accessed virtually anywhere with an internet connection. While some may intentionally seek out this content, it’s not uncommon for innocent users to unknowingly stumble upon illegal content while online. Unfortunately, the consequences of these mistakes can be devastating.

The phrase ‘online activity lives forever” has never been more true. Whether it’s social media feeds or emails, everything you do online leaves a trail for others, particularly law enforcement, to track down. Few people realize that law enforcement agencies have the latest high tech at their disposal and are capable of hunting down virtually anyone accessing illegal content online. With some of the strictest laws in the nation, Texas law enforcement agencies are quick to arrest anyone viewing illegal content online — even if by mistake.

It may sound scary, but the dangers of crossing the legal line are very real and the penalties can destroy lives. Still, there is a lot of confusion about what is and what isn’t considered legal online. Read on to learn what is illegal to view on the internet and how to avoid breaking the law.

Torrenting

Torrenting is a type of file sharing conducted between different users on the internet. Torrenting usually involves a platform where one individual uploads illegal content, such as a copyrighted film or song, and others are free to download this material.

Torrenting has decreased in the last few years. Streaming powerhouses such as Netflix make entertainment consumption affordable and easy, preventing the need to download pirated material.

The legality of torrenting depends on what you’re sharing and whether you have the necessary rights or permissions to do so. While torrenting legitimate and authorized content is legal, engaging in illegal torrenting activities can result in serious charges and consequences.

Can you get arrested for torrenting? While torrenting is illegal, few arrests have been made. But there are repercussions, even if it’s simply a warning letter or restricted internet access.

Child Pornography

This may seem obvious but child pornography in any form is illegal. Child pornography charges and arrests happen every week in every part of the United States.

Child pornography is defined as sexual and exploitative actions featuring minors under the age of 17. This type of content includes both images and videos. Possessing both can lead to arrest and serious legal consequences.

Child pornography is a heinous and illegal activity that involves the creation, distribution, possession, or viewing of sexually explicit material featuring minors. Engaging in any form of child pornography, whether offline or online, is strictly prohibited by law in most countries, including the United States. The seriousness of these charges cannot be overstated, and they carry severe legal consequences.

Individuals can be arrested for viewing child pornography and may get arrested for merely searching for child pornography online. This also includes searching for such content on the “dark web.”

Authorities keep a record of search terms and track IP addresses that trigger certain keywords. If the search term appears in your browser history and cache, authorities may suspect you of watching child pornography.

Criminals For Hire

We’ve all seen movies or TV shows where a hitman is hired for a criminal job. Sadly, this isn’t just fiction. The dark web is known as the criminal world of the internet. This part of the internet isn’t indexed by search engines, giving users anonymity. This is why you’ll find many examples of criminal activity on the dark web, including hiring someone to conduct an illegal act on your behalf.

“Criminals for hire” refers to the illegal practice of hiring individuals or groups online to commit criminal activities on behalf of others. This includes a wide range of illegal activities such as hacking, identity theft, assault, cybercrimes, drug trafficking, and even more serious offenses like contract killings. Engaging in such activities is not only unethical but also highly illegal, both offline and online.

It’s important to note that law enforcement agencies take online criminal activity seriously, and they have various tools and resources to track down and prosecute individuals involved in “Criminals for Hire” schemes. Engaging in such activities is not only a violation of the law but also a dangerous endeavor that can lead to significant legal trouble and personal harm.

Hiring someone to hurt, injure, or do harm to another person is illegal. If law enforcement catches someone engaging in such criminal contracting, they could be apprehended and face significant charges.

Terrorism

Since 9/11, fighting terrorism has been a top priority for every law enforcement agency throughout the US. Meanwhile, the internet can be used by organizations and individuals looking to cause harm to the innocent. It can be used in any number of ways including spreading of ideas and connecting to individuals from all over the world. Unfortunately, dangerous ideas can be easily spread globally, potentially inspiring others to act out violently.

While searching for news articles or information about terrorism is usually ok, these searches can alarm the authorities and result in further action if they suspect these searches have the potential to do harm.

Certain online activities are closely watched by law enforcement along with certain suspicious groups. Activities that get the attention of authorities include joining online terrorist organizations, making threats, or encouraging others to engage in terroristic acts. Even some searches about weaponry or explosive devices could draw the attention of authorities. And even if these searches are legal, they still live forever on a server somewhere that could be dredged up at a later time.

Explosive Terms

One of the easiest ways to track down someone suspected of a terrorist attack is by tracking weapon-related search terms, such as making homemade explosive devices.

This is especially true if you’re searching for homemade bombs disguised as everyday items (such as a backpack).

Even if an arrest isn’t made, law enforcement can put you on their watch list and will track your IP address closely. You may even have law enforcement officials showing up at your door.

Modifying Weapons

While owning weapons such as guns are legal in many parts of the US, Certain modifications are against the law in some areas.

Bump stocks are the perfect example. They combine two different parts: a plastic stock and a firearm. The bump stock harnesses the recoil of a rifle to accelerate trigger pulls.

Searching for weapon modifications such as bump stocks can put you on a watch list. Weapon modifications can result in hefty fines and serious jail time.

Murder She Wrote

Not every search for murder will result in an arrest.

For example, let’s say you’re a fan of murder mystery films and novels or you’re searching for more information about a recent murder in your area. These usually aren’t a reason to put you on a watchlist.

But certain murder-related terms will alarm authorities. These include how to commit a murder, how to clean up after a murder, and other related terms.

Illegal Drugs

Buying drugs online is more common than you think. If you try to buy drugs online, whether on the surface or deep web, you’ll attract attention from the authorities.

Keep in mind, that searching for terms related to illegal drugs likely won’t put you on a watchlist. These terms include “how to detox from heroin” or “how many people use cocaine.”

But terms relating to finding or purchasing these drugs may raise alarm bells.

Another Individual’s Property Uploaded Without Their Permission

Did you know sharing another individual’s property online without their permission is illegal? “Property” can be defined as images, videos, and words. For example, it’s illegal to film someone without their knowledge and upload it online.

What if you view this content, not knowing it’s illegal? You might not get arrested — however, the uploader could face serious charges.

What Is Illegal To View On The Internet? BE CAREFUL

it’s ok to ask what is illegal to view on the internet. Some laws and rules are obvious while others may be questionable. For example, everyone knows viewing and downloading child pornography is illegal and will likely result in an arrest. But it’s important to know that even searching for specific terms can put you on the internet watchlist and potential legal hot water.

That’s why it’s important to be extra careful when on the internet. This includes viewing “free” or seemingly legal sexual content. Users may be unaware that minors were involved in the pornographic content produced and viewing such content is illegal.

If you or a loved one are facing charges involving online crime and need a top criminal defense lawyer, we’re here to help. Please contact us today for a review of your situation.

FAQ About What is Illegal To View Online