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Online impersonation now a serious offense in

By Michelle Nosratian and Nicholas Greitzer

Jan. 6, 2011 12:05 a.m.

Three years ago, Raj Dhaliwal found a tenth-grade picture of Jagmeet Singh and decided it would be funny to create a duplicate Facebook account for him.

Singh, a third-year global studies student, already had two Facebook accounts: his personal profile and a music page for his rap act “Hoodini.” Nevertheless, the plan was to trick all of Singh’s Facebook friends into believing the fake account was in fact Singh, said Dhaliwal, a third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student.

Singh was flattered by the phony account. But under a new California law, if Singh had reacted differently, Dhaliwal could possibly face a fine or even jail time.

Senate Bill 1411, enacted on Jan. 1, makes this type of activity a misdemeanor offense, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to a year in jail.

To be convicted, a person must knowingly and without consent impersonate another, with intent to defraud or harm him through social networking websites, e-mail or other means online.

The law also allows action to be taken in civil court.

“E-personation is the dark side of the social networking revolution,” Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, the bill’s author, said in a statement on his website. “Facebook or MySpace pages, e-mails, texting and comments on Web forums have been used to humiliate or torment people and even put them in danger. Victims have needed a law they can turn to.”

In the statement, Simitian added that one of the major problems with “e-personation” is how easy it is to accomplish, since people can simply post a comment on any blog under another’s name.

Simitian referenced the circumstance that led to the creation of the bill. In June 2010, a number of profanity-laced e-mails were sent under the name of the CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Carl Guardino. His brother was also impersonated online, when an imposter made it appear as if he had been mocking disabled students at the school where he taught.

According to Simitian, technology has evolved to the point where grudges or a twisted sense of humor can easily escalate to harassment. However, a number of students at UCLA have yet to experience any mistreatment online.

“It is more about just imitating celebrities,” said Ilana-Ruth Bevan, a third-year psychology student. “People make Facebook accounts for Jesus ““ is that a crime? I would care more if it ever happened to me, but since it hasn’t, it seems dumb.”

Bevan added that she is not sure how the new law can be enforced, and said it seems like a waste of resources for something that appears insignificant and out of anyone’s control.

Some students said that while impersonation could be nothing more than a joke between friends, it could also have a detrimental effect on someone’s reputation.

With contributing reports from Sonali Kohli, Bruin senior staff.

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