Kathleen’s mother died of a brain disease when only 24 years old. Kathleen at age 7 is also dying of the same disease.

Neighbors have posted a pic of her mom on Facebook with the Grim Reaper. Kathleen gets similar treatment with a photo containing cross bones. h/t Parents: Dying Girl, 7, Taunted by Neighbors in Trenton.

When I wrote “Are Internet sociopaths out to get you?,” this is exactly the type of horrible conduct I was talk about. As a Web lawyer, I become increasingly cynical every time I see heart-rending stories like this one.

Unfortunately, blogs, forums, and social media tools like Facebook make it easy for sociopaths, psychopaths, and the permanently stupid to hurt people without consequences.

This partially explains the increasing awareness and demand for online privacy rights by Internet users. It also explains why privacy and personal safety are becoming big issues.

The same tools that are used to ridicule a dying little girl can just as easily be abused to stalk her or worse.

That’s why you should separate yourself from the crowd by making it clear to your website visitors that you respect privacy rights. You do this with your website privacy policy and your site’s content.

Whether you’ll be legally required to do so is one thing. Talk with your Web lawyer about what you’re supposed to be doing. Regardless, protecting privacy and treating people with respect is the right thing to do.

To your online success!

-Mike the Web lawyer