Is it illegal to impersonate someone on Facebook if it is NOT for the purpose of harm or fraud?

[iomar]

Recently popular amongst especially fans of kpop (South Korean pop) music is the practice of creating closed online communities on Facebook where fans can roleplay as a celebrity of their choice as a form of recreation. None of these roleplayers are seeking to harm, defraud, or decieve anyone through this, but there have been rumors going around that some roleplayers (especially in Singapore and the Philippines) have been arrested on charges of impersonation. In most of the closed 'roleplays', the members are forbidden to interact with anyone besides other members (so as to not deceive any fans who may believe that the roleplayers are the actual celebrities). Some celebrities have found out about these roleplayers and publicly threatened (through Twitter or similar) to get them arrested, but I want to know if they actually legally can, or if the claims about people getting arrested are just rumors. Note that the celebrities are based in South Korea, and the fans who have gotten arrested are from the Philippines and Singapore, not the United States, so the laws may be different there. Does anyone know what those laws are, and/or if the roleplayers could legally be arrested?

[gillian59]

Absolutely not! That is direct violation of the constitution!

It violates the 1st, 9th, 8th, and 4th if you stretch it.

1st

Protects the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government

9th

Protects rights not enumerated in the constitution.

8th

Prohibits excessive fines and excessive bail, as well as cruel and unusual punishment

4th

Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets out requirements for search warrants based on probable cause

The first amendment protects our freedom of speech. The 4th Amendment protects against search and seizure which a law holder would have to go through and search through every post you've ever done to see if it has any malicious content. The fines are protected under the 8th amendment. 3000 $? That's a bit ridiculous seeing how you're not hurting anyone. The 9th protects all other rights not included in the constitution.

As for Singapore, the Phillippines:

1. liberty of a person
2. prohibition of slavery and forced labour
3. protection against retrospective criminal laws and repeated trials
4. equal protection
5. prohibition of banishment and freedom of movement
6. freedom of speech, assembly and association
7. freedom of religion
8. right to education

Those are under the Consitution of Singapore which also seems to have a freedom of Speech and Liberty of a person located in Fundamental Liberties.

Phillipines

http://www.chanrobles.com/republicacts/republicactno9372.html

You can check that over. I looked it over and saw nothing. They also have a freedom of speech in their constitution. Sounds to me that the celebrities who reported them are looking for a way to get easy money by calling the cops.

As for their deleted sites, it's up to the site that they're roleplaying on to decide whether they want to have that feature or not. Facebook for example, if they don't want roleplay groups, they'll have to take away their group options, not to mention also LOSE all of the support they get from those people who use facebook as a place to roleplay.

Those people cannot be fined and or imprisoned without evidence that what they were doing was in malicious attempt to slander/harm the celebrities that they were portraying. And if they DO start making roleplaying illegal they can kiss their actors asses goodbye because what do they think actors do? Honestly, stupid people.

[bernd]

yes

[adamka]

If you are using another person's photos without permission that is impersonation and copyright infringment. You can be fined up to $10,000 for using another person's photos as you do not own the copyright and this is against the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)

[weiford]

why wood it be is all for fun and games rite