The Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act

The Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act was put into motion after 13-year-old Megan Meier committed suicide because of being bullied and coerced on the internet. In 2006, Megan Meier hung herself, one month short of her 14th birthday. Her suicide took place after befriending "Josh" on MySpace. Reports stated that the last message Megan sent to "Josh" said that he was the kind of boy girls kill themselves over. Less than an hour later, Megan was found hung in her room.

The Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act was first introduced to the House of Representatives by Linda Sanchez of California on May 22, 2008 as H.R.6123. It was then introduced again on April 2, 2009 as H.R.1966. The purpose of the bill is to amend the federal criminal code to impose criminal penalties on anyone who transmits in interstate or foreign commerce a communication intended to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to another person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior. The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security and has not been voted on as of yet.

"Josh" was a fictitious persona created by 50-year-old Lori Drew. Drew confessed to setting up a MySpace account in the name of Josh in order to gain Megan's confidence. Drew then used the information learned in the fake friendship against her. Drew stated that this was started as a way to get back at Megan for spreading rumors about Drew's daughter. Lori Drew, her daughter, and Ashley Grills, an 18-year-old employye of Drew's, were responsible for posting on the MySpace blog.

Lori Drew was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress. The jury convicted her on three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress but reduced the charge from felonies to misdemeanors. The criminal conspiracy charge deadlocked the jury.

There is much speculation on whether or not the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act is unconstitutional. The bill would conflict with the First Amendment of the Constitution. The First Amendment states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."