In UK, Twitter, Facebook rants land some in jail. Can this happen in USA?

[Obama hood - Spread the Wealth]

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20104567/in...me-in-jail

LONDON (AP) — One teenager made offensive comments about a murdered child on Twitter. Another young man wrote on Facebook that British soldiers should "go to hell." A third posted a picture of a burning paper poppy, symbol of remembrance of war dead.

All were arrested, two convicted, and one jailed — and they're not the only ones. In Britain, hundreds of people are prosecuted each year for posts, tweets, texts and emails deemed menacing, indecent, offensive or obscene, and the number is growing as our online lives expand.

Lawyers say the mounting tally shows the problems of a legal system trying to regulate 21st century communications with 20th century laws. Civil libertarians say it is a threat to free speech in an age when the Internet gives everyone the power to be heard around the world.

[Fetus]

No,
But Paula's "KellyPatrol" tirade will put her in the pen

[kraizzykasey]

I doubt it.

[Typical Texan]

That might happen to you if you don't start taking your meds.

[Happyseed689]

I thought you fascists wanted to jail people for "inciting terrorism".

[Torgo]

It's not a 'threat' to free speech in the UK because they don't have a constitutional guarantee of free speech.

In the US, you can go to jail if your posts are threatening or advocate violence, especially against the president. We have plenty of people in the US making offensive comments about murder victims, soldiers, the American flag, etc., but no one goes to jail over them or even pays that much attention to them.

[Jim]

not Constitutionally, but once we've made a habit of ignoring the Constitution we can do anything we wish!..damn the Constitution!..a concept the Left dearly loves!

[MartinG]

Not currently - correct me if I'm wrong but UK and Canada have "hate speech" laws and USA doesn't.

Whether USA should get some is another question...

[R J]

yes let's hope so I saw some posts on twitter, facebook and other deals where they actually said our president was a "loser" and couldn't run a lemonade stand much less a country. Some have posted that he is a carter look alike and a muslim and a puppet of the far left bill ayers group. some even posted his wife was not proud of our great country. can you believe that. Oh I thought so

[Michael G]

Not completely sure but in the case of outright libel, the law may include publicly aired statements. Free speech ceases once laws protecting others rights are significantly broken. Calling someone a name is no biggie but seriously defrauding their character is a bit more serious. In the examples cited by you above I doubt that there could be any actions taken here.