Live-Streaming Illegal Activities, Pranks Could Soon Be a Criminal Offense in Louisiana

When it comes to what our lawmakers are doing in Baton Rouge, you probably wouldn't imagine them giving too much thought to what folks in Louisiana are sharing on social media; unless, of course, it’s on the wrong side of the law. Representative Dixon McMakin from Baton Rouge is leading the charge to tweak the rules around sharing videos online, focusing specifically on live-streaming crimes. It seems everything from minor mischief to really serious stuff, like a recent heart-wrenching incident where a violent crime was broadcast live, is pushing this move.

McMakin's on a mission to make sure the law keeps up with the times, explaining that the goal is to stop folks from gaining internet fame by showing off their law-breaking in real-time. "This will now put that in statute, and we can now lock you up for that," he said.

The idea is to make it clear as day that if you’re live-streaming a crime—whether you're in the thick of it, helping out, or just watching—you could find yourself in trouble with the law. This new twist brings up some tricky questions, like how to tell live streams from old videos, and where this leaves people’s rights to share what’s happening around them, especially in emergencies.

Criminal Defense Attorney Franz Borghardt chimed in, pointing out these gray areas, including how this might bump heads with free speech rights. But both he and McMakin believe it’s past time to stop people from thinking they can become famous by breaking the law on camera.

It's still early on for this proposal, but there’s already a lot of initial support (on social media, ironically) that right now is the right time for these changes, given the current makeup of the legislature.

The challenging part will be finding the right balance between stopping the spread of crime online and making sure people can still share when they genuinely need to, especially within their constitutional rights.

See the full story here via WAFB.