Arizona’s government is proposing Bill 254, which will regulate profanity online. The motivation behind the bill is to keep kids safe from cyber-bullying, and online predators.
There are a few arguments that have arisen in response to this potential bill. It breaches freedom of speech. What would count as profanity? The bill describes it as language intended to terrorize, threaten, harass, offend, or even annoy. It also mentions the unlawfulness of disturbing the peace, quiet or privacy of any person. These conditions are very broad, and could make for some messy convictions.
The bill is still awaiting approval from the Governor, so it isn’t in place yet. What do you think about the bill?
