(1) For the purposes of this section:
- (a)
- (b)
- (c)
- (d) "Dissemination" means electronically publishing, posting, or otherwise disclosing information to a public Internet site or public forum; "Household member" means a person who regularly resides in the household or who within the six (6) months preceding the conduct of the offense regularly resided in the household; "Immediate family member" means a parent, grandparent, spouse, child, stepchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sibling, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or grandchild; and "Personally identifying information" means information that identifies or reasonably can be used to identify an individual, including but not limited to: 1. 2. Date of birth; 3. Home or physical address; Electronic-mail address or telephone number; 4. 5. Financial account number or credit or debit card number; 6. Biometric, health, or medical data, or insurance information; or 7. Social Security number or other government-issued identifier; School or employment locations.
(2) A person is guilty of disseminating personally identifying information about another person when, with the intent to intimidate, abuse, threaten, harass, or frighten a person who resides in the Commonwealth, he or she:
- (a) Intentionally disseminates the personally identifying information of the person or a person's immediate family member or household member; and
- (b) The dissemination would cause a reasonable person to be in fear of physical injury to himself or herself, or to his or her immediate family member or household member.
- (3) This section shall apply to electronic communications originating within or accessible within the Commonwealth.
(4) Disseminating personally identifying information is a Class A misdemeanor, unless the dissemination results in:
- (a) Physical injury to the victim or to a victim's immediate family member or household member, in which case it is a Class D felony;
- (b) Serious physical injury to the victim or to a victim's immediate family member or household member, in which case it is a Class C felony; or
- (c) Death of the victim or of a victim's immediate family member or household member, in which case it is a Class B felony.
- (5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on a broadband Internet access service provider, a telecommunications service provider, an interconnected VoIP provider, or a mobile service provider as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 153, a commercial mobile service provider as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 332(d), or a cable operator as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 522, when acting in its capacity as a provider of those services.
Effective: June 29, 2021
History: Created 2021 Ky. Acts ch. 199, sec. 1, effective June 29, 2021.