Making True Threats Is a Crime
But what counts as true?
The internet is full of threats—violent, personal, severe threats, the recipients of which are left to assess the threats’ seriousness, to figure out how to protect themselves. Perhaps the most well-documented and well-known threats were those made to election workers during the 2020 presidential campaign. In voice messages, emails, and social-media posts, election deniers told state and local officials they would “get popped,” “hang from a tree,” and be “executed for treason.” One Facebook message said, “You raided an office. You broke the law. STOP USING YOUR TACTICS. STOP NOW. Watch your back. I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP, I SEE YOU SLEEPING. BE AFRAID, BE VERRY AFFRAID. I hope you die.”
