Andriy Slynchuk described eleven things Internet users do that they may not realize are illegal: using unofficial streaming services, using torrent services, using copyrighted images, sharing passwords, addresses, or photos of others, bullying and trolling, recording a VoIP call without consent, faking your identity online, using other people’s internet networks, collecting information about children, extracting audio from YouTube, and illegal searches on the Internet.

In my opinion, the five most serious violations are sharing passwords, addresses, or photos of others, bullying and trolling, recording a VoIP call without consent, faking your identity online, and collecting information about children. Sharing personal information about others is a serious offense because it brings their technical and/or physical safety into question, especially if they have had prior abusive relationships or stalkers. Bullying and trolling are other serious offenses because just like traditional bullying, the victim may experience mental harm, potentially leading them to physical harm as well. While the legality of recording a VoIP call without consent depends on where the call is taking place (as Virginia is a one-party consent state, only one party must know about the recording occurring), it is still best to not record others without their consent, especially if you intend to share that recording with others. Faking your identity online, whether on online forums or dating websites, has various levels of severity. While it may seem harmless to present yourself differently on an online forum, it causes others’ perceptions of you to become distorted. Faking your identity on dating sites may foster discomfort and distrust in those you meet with. Finally, collecting information about children is a severe offense because it can be used to inflict mental or physical harm on minors, or from a market-research perspective, engineer products geared toward children to be more addictive.