This is historical material, "frozen in time." The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release September 16, 1999

              VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE ANNOUNCES NEW REPORT
          DEMONSTRATING STRONGER FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS NEEDED
             TO PROTECT AMERICANS AGAINST ON-LINE STALKING

     Washington, D.C. -- Stronger federal and state laws are needed to

protect Americans of all ages from online stalking according to a new Department of Justice report released today by Vice President Al Gore. Cyberstalking: A New Challenge for Law Enforcement and Industry is aimed at helping to protect millions of Americans using the Internet by providing greater awareness to the problem of online stalking.

"As more and more Americans are going on-line -- particularly our children -- it is critical that they are protected from online stalking. Cybperspace should be a place for learning and exploration not a place for fear," said Vice President Al Gore. "Cyberstalking is a very serious new problem confronting us in the information age. This report demonstrates the need for stronger federal and state laws to combat the problem."

Meeting at San Diego State University with victims of online stalking and their families, Vice President Gore discussed the report and listened to the stories of victims, discussing ways to combat the problem of on-line stalking.

The Department of Justice report analyzes the nature and extent of the cyberstalking problem, current law enforcement and industry responses and the adequacy of existing federal and state laws.

Cyberstalking generally refers to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communication devices to stalk another person. Stalking refers to harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person's home or business, or vandalizing a person's property.

According to the Department of Justice, less than one third of the states have anti-stalking laws that explicitly cover stalking via the Internet, email, pagers, or other electronic communications. While the general stalking statutes in some states may cover cyberstalking, the report calls on all states to review their laws to ensure they prohibit and punish stalking via the Internet and other electronic communications. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office estimates that e-mail or other electronic communications were a factor in approximately 20% of the roughly 600 cases handled by its Stalking and Threat Assessment Unit. According to a 1998 national DOJ survey of traditional (offline) stalking, one out of every 12 women (8.2 million) and one out of every 45 men (2 million) have been stalked at some time in their lives.

The report makes the following recommendations regarding cyberstalking:

States should review their laws to determine whether they address cyberstalking and if not promptly expand laws to do so.
Federal law should be amended to prohibit the transmission of any communication in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to threaten or harass another person where such communication places that person in reasonable fear of death or bodily injury.
Federal law should also be amended to make it easier to track stalkers and other criminals in cyberspace while maintaining safeguards for privacy.
Law enforcement agencies need training on the extent of cyberstalking and appropriate investigative techniques. Law enforcement agencies also should work closely with victim support organizations to assist cyberstalking victims.
The Internet industry should create an industry-supported website containing information about cyberstalking and what to do if confronted with the problem.

###