Albany County’s 2012 Cyberbullying law was struck down on Tuesday.The New York State of Appeals stated that the law was too broad and violated freedom of speech under the First Amendment.
This is a big decision, as it is one of the first times a state’s highest court has taken on a law targeting cyberbullying.
The decision was a reaction to the People v. Marquan M. case in which the New York Liberties Union challenged a 2010 Albany County law that made it a crime to “inflict significant emotional harm on another person.”
The lead counsel on the People v. Marquan case and the NYCLU Senior Staff Attorney made a statement to the NYCLU stating that, “Cyberbullying is a serious concern that all communities must confront, but there are better and more constructive ways to address the problem than giving children criminal records.”