New bill to prevent cyberbullying rounding through the legislative process

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A piece of legislation meant to protect children under the age of eighteen from cyberbullying is making its way through Kentucky’s legislative process.

On Monday, Kentucky’s Senate passed a bill that would make it illegal for anyone to disclose a minor’s personal information online for the purpose of bullying that minor. The bill is sponsored by Republican Senator Chris McDaniel. It passed by a vote of thirty to six and is now headed to the House. Last year, a similar bill passed the Senate but was voted down in the House.

Michael Lemon, the founder of Cyber Safe Teen, says the new law is an attempt to strengthen existing laws that were passed in a less technologically-advanced era. He says while those laws addressed actions that could be considered bullying, it’s possible some of those laws could be interpreted as dealing mainly with cases of face-to-face harassment.

The need for tougher laws surfaced earlier last year when a teen from northern Kentucky was the subject of several social media posts after his interaction with a Native American activist.