Web Pgs, Twitter Accts. & Social Media Impersonation Illegal in Some States

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/men-charged-with-impersonating-austin-women-online-to-2242912.html
Men charged with impersonating Austin women online to damage their reputations
March 16, 2012

Citing a relatively new law in Texas, two out-of-state men face felony charges after Austin police said they created fake Twitter accounts and websites designed to impersonate and damage the reputations of women who live here.
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Detective William Pursley, who works for the department's digital analysis and response team and who filed the charges against the two men, said they were charged under a law that was revised by the state Legislature in 2011.

The law says someone can be charged with online impersonation for creating a Web page, social media profile or other online account posing as a victim without their consent and using their persona to harm, defraud, threaten or intimidate someone.

Before last year, the crime was classified as online harassment, Pursley said. The new law was broadened to cover more than just social networking sites and now includes commercial sites such as eBay and PayPal.

Mississippi, Hawaii, New York and California have all recently passed similar laws, and other states are considering them.
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