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A Judicial First in Cyberspace Law: GIF=Deadly Weapon

Post 1

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

A Texas grand jury has ruled that a .gif CAN be a deadly weapon:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kurt-eichenwald-case-texas-grand-jury-says-gif-deadly-weapon-n736316

The case, of course, is the one in which journalist Kurt Eichenwald was sent a tweet containing a .gif that triggered an epileptic seizure. Not nice.

This is a landmark of sorts.

Here's the Telegraph on the subject, in case you prefer a UK source:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/03/22/gif-counts-deadly-weapon-seizure-inducing-tweet-case-grand/

Anyway, news for us internet types.

smiley - dragon


A Judicial First in Cyberspace Law: GIF=Deadly Weapon

Post 2

Prof Animal Chaos.C.E.O..err! C.E.Idiot of H2G2 Fools Guild (Official).... A recipient of S.F.L and S.S.J.A.D.D...plus...S.N.A.F.U.

by the same logicsmiley - laughso can a nose if you sneeze at someone and they catch a killer bugsmiley - biggrin


A Judicial First in Cyberspace Law: GIF=Deadly Weapon

Post 3

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Not unless you did the sneezing on purpose - in front of somebody you knew had a compromised immune system.


A Judicial First in Cyberspace Law: GIF=Deadly Weapon

Post 4

Amy Pawloski, aka 'paper lady'--'Mufflewhump'?!? click here to find out... (ACE)

Yeah, intent matters...


A Judicial First in Cyberspace Law: GIF=Deadly Weapon

Post 5

ITIWBS

There's been so much publicity on strobe triggered epileptic reactions its not surprising this has been used with malicious intent.

A little knowledge, in the wrong hands, is a dangerous thing.

I'm surprised that safeguards against this kind of computer attack haven't already been engineered into the internet.

An epileptic seizure can be life threatening in a number of ways and deliberatly inducing one is on a par with knocking someone unconscious with a blow to the back the head with a mallet.

Not a cool thing to do at all.


A Judicial First in Cyberspace Law: GIF=Deadly Weapon

Post 6

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Good point, ITI - they need to make it impossible for screens to do that. smiley - ok


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