Computer Crimes (H 7042, S 2647)

The House and Senate Judiciary committees considered legislation to drastically Rhode Island’s computer crimes laws by altering the definitions of old laws and creating new offenses.

The House and Senate Judiciary committees considered legislation to drastically Rhode Island’s computer crimes laws by altering the definitions of old laws and creating new offenses. Among the concerns presented by the ACLU in testimony: the legislation’s broad language meant even some actions clearly protected by the First Amendment, such as commenting online on controversial topics or running a satirical website could have been deemed illegal under state law.