State v. Reid

Modern technology has raised a number of questions that are intertwined in this case: To what extent can private individuals “surf” the “Web” anonymously? Do Internet subscribers have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their identity while accessing Internet websites? And under what circumstances may the State learn the actual identity of Internet users?

In this case, defendant Shirley Reid allegedly logged onto an Internet website from her home computer. The site belonged to a company that supplied material to her employer’s business. While on the supplier’s website, Reid allegedly…