Proposed NC Cyberstalking law - S238 (house, buy, exemption)

[dweezil]

As a disclaimer, let me state that I am not a private investigator nor do I have any relationship with one so that is not why I am writing this post:

North Carolina Senate bill S238 will probably soon be passed. It deals with cyber-stalking and is an attempt to take into account the advancements in technology that make it easier to stalk or harass someone. I have no problem with that, but like so many things the government does, they foul it up in other ways. For example, let's say that you have a strong suspicion your spouse is having an affair. You have kids so you can't easily leave the house to follow them or determine what they are doing. Also, your spouse is tech savvy so has made it difficult for you to use any of the apps that might otherwise help you in gathering proof. Currently, you can hire a private investigator who can legally affix a GPS to your spouse's car and within a few days you will probably have all the proof you need to confront them. Well, here is where S238 comes in, should it be enacted:
1. The GPS option for a PI to use for tracking your spouse is made illegal in this case.
2. You can still hire a PI to do the job but they will have to physically tail your spouse which is a much more expensive option.

There are probably other holes in the proposed law, such as preventing you from trying to keep track of an elderly parent who is forgetful and may end up who knows where.

So, there you have it - from cyber-stalking to making it easier to cheat on your spouse. Thanks NC Legislature. For the latest revision of the bill, go to North Carolina General Assembly , click on Find a Bill, enter S238 and search.

[RedZin]

Got caught stalking someone, eh?

People can still hire a PI. They just have to pay him/her to physically track their spouses. I'm not seeing the issue.

I've known a few women who were stalked by insane exes. I welcome stricter laws in this regard.

[RDUBiker]

Every law has unintended consequences and that's always a shame. It's hard to draft perfect legislation, and much of what's out there is garbage, but in this case I think the overall intention is good and perhaps it can be tweaked or revised over time to make it better. Stalking by crazy people can be a nightmare and I can feel for those who have to deal with it.

[Sherifftruman]

There's a lot of crazy people for sure, but it does seem pretty simple for them to allow an exemption for licensed private investigators as they already have the whole system set up.

[don6170]

I am fine with it. Can the police/feds put a tracker on your car? I think it should require a judge's order to do it, the same as a wiretap.

[wheelsup]

The legislation follows the recent Supreme Court case that denied the FBI from affixing GPS trackers to suspects cars. I support it.

FBI Still Struggling With Supreme Court's GPS Ruling : NPR

It basically says following someone in person isn't a breach of privacy, but placing a tracking device on them/their car is.

[RedZin]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

The legislation follows the recent Supreme Court case that denied the FBI from affixing GPS trackers to suspects cars. I support it.

FBI Still Struggling With Supreme Court's GPS Ruling : NPR

It basically says following someone in person isn't a breach of privacy, but placing a tracking device on them/their car is.

This.

[cyn7cyn]

Oooh super creepy that it's even a concern. If it's my car and in my name,keep your sneaky little paws off of it.. If someone's at the point of hiring a PI to spy on their spouse they should just volunteer to leave. So would it be cool if some random dude put a GPS on your teen daughters car?

[Stagemomma]

You don't need to hire a PI to put a GPS tracker on someone's car. Just buy one on Ebay and DIY.

That's what I did!

Without reading the REST of the bill, I have to say...last year someone was harassing my daughter. Current law did not have sufficient teeth, IMHO, so I'd like to see some improvement made in that area.