According to laws of Reckless Endangerment, it is illegal to shout ‘Fire!’ in a crowded theatre when there is none. Today, that law seems to extend to Twitter.
Two people, a private school teacher and a radio presenter in Veracruz, Mexico could face prison time. They are looking at a 30-year sentence for allegedly spreading false reports of gunmen attacking schools and kidnapping children.
Gilberto Martinez, a 48-year old math teacher, wrote on his Twitter, “They took five children, an armed group”. Maria de Jesus Bravo, a 57-year old radio host, also wrote something similar on her Twitter.
Gerardo Buganza, interior secretary for Veracruz has used this incident to coin the term ‘Twitter terrorism’.
You deserve a break, have a casual game on us!
The two defendants are being charged under terrorism laws for inciting panic, causing worried parents to scramble to their children causing dozens of car accidents and jamming emergency phone lines.
This echoes the mass hysteria caused by Orson Welles’ 1938 Halloween radio broadcast. The 60-minute broadcast was an adaptation of H. G. Well’s War of the Worlds.
The bulletins were presented in such a lifelike fashion that many listeners believed an actual alien invasion was taking place, leading to widespread panic.
Orson faced no punishment for the radio broadcast.
Said President Felipe Calderon: “This is an insecure environment where people turn to social media to try and keep themselves safe. These people are being scapegoated for the panic that ensued but the case should not stand up to scrutiny”.
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