End of a Facebook Nightmare

We’ve all heard of people who have lost jobs (or not gotten jobs in the first place) due to intemperate postings on Facebook and other social networking sites. But do you know about Fouad Mourtada? A Moroccan citizen, he created a fake Facebook profile of the king’s brother. This earned him three years in jail and a $1350 fine; they take their royalty seriously in Morocco.

Fortunately, thanks in part to international pressure drummed up by the Help Free FOUAD site, Fouad has now received a royal pardon. But the case does highlight the continuing tension between the way that people use social networking and the old social (and legal) norms. The next time you hear a Facebook horror story about some recent grad blowing the interview thanks to kegger pictures, remember: it could be worse.

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