Legal Question in Technology Law in Australia

Re: Consequences of Using The Internet

Your question is a little vague. It depends on how they are being misused, where, and by whom. People can break the law using the Internet in much the same way as they can break it in other ways. So for example, fraud and trading in child pornography are equally illegal online as they are off-line. There are a few crimes that are only applicable online, such as malicious hacking, or sending spam. And there are a few activities like cyber-stalking that would be crimes off-line, but aren't necessarily crimes on-line.

The place where the Internet is accessed is also relevant, for example because if it is a workplace or school there are likely to be rules about accessing things like pornographic content or sending personal email. Harrassing other people using email isn't illegal per se, but a restraining order could be taken out to prevent it from continuing.

In summary, there are many potential consequences of misusing the Internet or email but it really depends on the individual circumstances. I can't give a brief or complete answer.