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Cyberstalking and Cyberharassment Laws

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St at eCy b erst alking and Cy b erharassment Law s

(Doesnotincludecyberbullyinglaws.SeeNCSL'scyberbullyingpage.)

Overview|StateStatutes
Lastupdate:March23,2012
PLEASENOTE:TheNationalConferenceofStateLegislatures(NCSL)servesstatelegislatorsandtheirstaff.Thissiteprovidescomparativeinformationonlyand
shouldnotbeconstruedaslegaladvice.NCSLcannotprovideassistancewithindividualcases.

Overview
Manystateshaveenacted"cyberstalking"or"cyberharassment"lawsorhavelawsthatexplicitlyincludeelectronicformsofcommunicationwithinmore
traditionalstalkingorharassmentlaws.Inaddition,recentconcernsaboutprotectingminorsfromonlinebullyingorharassmenthaveledstatestoenact
"cyberbullying"laws.Thischartidentifiesonlystatelawsthatincludespecificreferencestoelectroniccommunication.However,otherstatelawsmaystillapply
tothosewhoharass,threatenorbullyothersonline,althoughspecificlanguagemaymakethelawseasiertoenforce.Thischartclassifiesthevariousstatelaws
addressingthesethreedifferenttypesofonlinebehaviors,asdescribedbelow.
Cyberstalking.CyberstalkingistheuseoftheInternet,emailorotherelectroniccommunicationstostalk,andgenerallyreferstoapatternofthreateningor
maliciousbehaviors.CyberstalkingmaybeconsideredthemostdangerousofthethreetypesofInternetharassment,basedonaposingcrediblethreatofharm.
Sanctionsrangefrommisdemeanorstofelonies.
Cyberharassment.Cyberharassmentdiffersfromcyberstalkinginthatitisgenerallydefinedasnotinvolvingacrediblethreat.Cyberharassmentusuallypertains
tothreateningorharassingemailmessages,instantmessages,ortoblogentriesorwebsitesdedicatedsolelytotormentinganindividual.Somestatesapproach
cyberharrassmentbyincludinglanguageaddressingelectroniccommunicationsingeneralharassmentstatutes,whileothershavecreatedstandalone
cyberharassmentstatutes.
*Note:Thischartdoesnotcovercyberbullyinglaws.Cyberbullyingandcyberharassmentaresometimesusedinterchangeably,butcyberbullyinggenerallyrefers
toelectronicharassmentorbullyingamongminorswithinaschoolcontext.SeetheNCSL'sEducationProgram'scyberbullyingpageformoreinformationon
cyberbullyingslawsandlegislation.
Seealso:Statelawsrelatedtoelectronicsolicitationorluringofchildren,Internetfilteringlawsschoolsandlibraries,andNCSLLegisBrief:ProtectingChildrenOnline.

State/Territory

Cyberstalking

Cyberharassment

Alabama

Ala.Code13A118

Alaska

AlaskaStat.11.41.260,11.41.270

Arizona

Ariz.Rev.Stat.13
2921

Arkansas

Ark.Code541108

Ark.Code541108

California

Cal.CivilCode1708.7,CalPenalCode646.9

Cal.PenalCode422,653.2,653m

Colorado

Colo.Rev.Stat.18602,189111

Colo.Rev.Stat.189111

Connecticut

Conn.Gen.Stat.53a182b,53a183

Delaware

Del.Codetit.111311

Florida

Fla.Stat.784.048

Fla.Stat.784.048

Georgia

GeorgiaCode16590

Hawaii

HawaiiRev.Stat.7111106

Idaho

IdahoStat.187905,187906

Illinois

720ILCS5/127.5,740ILCS21/10

720ILCS135/12,135/13,135/2

Indiana

Ind.Code354522

Iowa

IowaCode708.7

Kansas

Kan.Stat.213438

Kentucky

Louisiana

La.Rev.Stat.14:40.2,14:40.3

Maine

Me.Rev.Stat.tit17A210A(see2007Me.Laws,Ch.685,

sec.3)
Maryland

Md.Codetit.33805

Massachusetts

Mass.Gen.Lawsch.26543

Mass.Gen.Lawsch.26543A

Michigan

Mich.Comp.Laws750.411h,750.411i

Mich.Comp.Laws750.411s

Minnesota

Minn.Stat.609.749

Minn.Stat.609.795

Mississippi

Miss.Code974515,974517,973107

Miss.Code972945

Missouri

Mo.Rev.Stat.565.225

Mo.Rev.Stat.565.090

Montana

Mont.CodeAnn.455220

Mont.CodeAnn.458213

Nebraska

Nevada

Nev.Rev.Stat.200.575

NewHampshire

N.H.Rev.Stat.644:4

NewJersey

N.J.Stat.2C:1210,2C:1210.1*

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Cyberstalking and Cyberharassment Laws

NewJersey

N.J.Stat.2C:1210,2C:1210.1*

NewMexico

N.M.Stat.303A3*

NewYork

NewYorkPenalLaw240.30

NorthCarolina

N.C.Gen.Stat.14196.3

N.C.Gen.Stat.14196(b)

NorthDakota

N.D.Cent.Code12.11707

Ohio

OhioRev.Code2903.211

OhioRev.Code2917.21(A),2913.01(Y)

Oklahoma

Okla.Stat.tit.211173

Okla.Stat.tit.211172

Oregon

Or.Rev.Stat.163.730to163.732

Or.Rev.Stat.166.065

Pennsylvania

Pa.Cons.Stat.tit.182709.1

Pa.Cons.Stat.tit.182709(a),2709(f)

RhodeIsland

R.I.Gen.Laws11524.2

R.I.Gen.Laws11524.2

SouthCarolina

S.C.Code1631700(C),1631700(F)

S.C.Code1631700(B),1631700(C),1617430

SouthDakota

S.D.Cod.Laws2219A1

S.D.Cod.Laws493131

Tennessee

Tenn.Code3917315

Tenn.Code3917308

Texas

Tx.PenalCode33.07

Utah

UtahCode765106.5

UtahCode769201

Vermont

Vt.Stat.tit.131061,1062,1063

Vt.Stat.tit.131027

Virginia

Va.Code18.260

Va.Code18.2152.7:1

Washington

Wash.Rev.Code9A.46.110,9.61.260

Wash.Rev.Code9A.46.020,10.14.020

WestVirginia

W.Va.Code613C14a

Wisconsin

Wis.Stat.947.0125

Wyoming

Wyo.Stat.62506

Territories:

Guam

X.G.C.A.tit.919.69,19.70

X.G.C.A.tit.919.69,19.70

*Statutedoesnotspecify"electronic"or"Internet,"butreferstostalking"byanyaction,method,deviceormeans...."
PLEASENOTE:TheNationalConferenceofStateLegislatures(NCSL)servesstatelegislatorsandtheirstaff.Thissiteprovidescomparativeinformationonly
andshouldnotbeconstruedaslegaladvice.NCSLcannotprovideassistancewithindividualcases.

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