Hate Crimes in Cyberspace

352 Pages·2014·1.8 MB·English

by  Danielle Keats Citron

Hate Crimes in Cyberspace

Hate Crimes in
Cyberspace
Danielle Keats Citron
HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, En gland
2014
Copyright © 2014 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Citron, Danielle Keats, 1968–
Hate crimes in cyberspace / Danielle Keats Citron.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0 - 674-3 6829- 3 (alk. paper)
1. Cyberbullying. 2. Cyberstalking. 3. Hate crimes. 4. Computer crimes.
I. Title.
HV6773.15.C92C57 2014
364.150285'4678–dc23 2014008325
For my family

Contents
Introduction 1
Part One: Understanding Cyber Harassment
1 Digital Hate 3 5
2 How the Internet’s Virtues Fuel Its Vices 56
3 Th e Problem of Social Attitudes 7 3
Part Two: Moving Forward
4 Civil Rights Movements, Past and Present 95
5 What Law Can and Should Do Now 120
6 Updating the Law: Th e Harassers 142
7 Legal Reform for Site Operators and Employers 167
8 “Don’t Break the Internet” and
Other Free Speech Challenges 190
9 Silicon Valley, Parents, and Schools 226
Conclusion 251
Notes 257
Ack nowl edg ments 329
Index 331

Introduction
During the summer of 2008, “Anna Mayer” was getting ready to begin
her fi rst semester in graduate school. In her spare time, she wrote a
pseudonymous blog about her weight struggles, body acc ep tance, and
other personal issues. She enjoyed interacting with her readers and com-
menting on other blogs; it provided a support system and sounding
board for her ideas.
Before school began, she searched her name and found posts describ-
ing her as a “stupid, ugly fat whore” who “couldn’t take a hint from a
man.” Anonymous posters listed her e-mail address, phone number, and
dating site profi les. She received e-mails warning that the authors knew
where she lived. Posters “outed” her as the author of her pseudonymous
blog, taunting that the “confessions she’s made about her pitiful fat fuck-
ing self are now blasted across teh [sic] Internet.”1
Over the next year, the attacks grew more gruesome and numerous.
Sites appeared with names like “Anna Mayer’s Fat Ass Chronicles” and
“Anna Mayer Keeps Ho’Ing It Up.” Posts warned that “guys who might