MO HB948

Creates the crime of abuse of the internet for knowingly accessing another person's data, images, email, or information without consent, or creating fraudulent email accounts, social networking profiles, or websites that impersonate others or contain false information to mislead another person.

Establishes criminal defamation as communicating false information with actual malice through any means that exposes a living person to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or degrades the memory of a deceased person; truth of the information is an absolute defense.

Creates the crime of failure to comply with a search warrant seeking computer-related identifying information when webmasters, webhosts, or IP servers knowingly fail to comply with such warrants within 30 calendar days of service.

All three crimes follow a tiered penalty structure: first offense is a class C misdemeanor, second offense is a class B misdemeanor, and third or subsequent offense is a class A misdemeanor.

Amends Missouri Revised Statutes chapters 542, 565, and 575 by adding sections 542.510, 565.093, and 575.185 respectively.