§ 750.540eMalicious use of service provided by telecommunications service provider

Sec. 540e.
   (1) A person who maliciously uses any service provided by a telecommunications service
 provider with intent to terrorize, frighten, intimidate, threaten, harass, molest, or annoy another
 person, or to disturb the peace and quiet of another person by doing any of the following is
 guilty of a misdemeanor:


                                                                    Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 91 of 2026
Rendered Sunday, September 6, 2026             Page 449 of 465                               Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov

    (a) Threatening physical harm or damage to any person or property in the course of a
 conversation or message through the use of a telecommunications service or device.
    (b) Falsely and deliberately reporting by message through the use of a telecommunications
 service or device that a person has been injured, has suddenly taken ill, has suffered death, or
 has been the victim of a crime or an accident.
    (c) Deliberately refusing or failing to disengage a connection between a telecommunications
 device and another telecommunications device or between a telecommunications device and
 other equipment provided for the transmission of messages through the use of a
 telecommunications service or device.
    (d) Using vulgar, indecent, obscene, or offensive language or suggesting any lewd or
 lascivious act in the course of a conversation or message through the use of a
 telecommunications service or device.
    (e) Repeatedly initiating a telephone call and, without speaking, deliberately hanging up or
 breaking the telephone connection as or after the telephone call is answered.
    (f) Making an unsolicited commercial telephone call that is received between the hours of 9
 p.m. and 9 a.m. As used in this subdivision, "an unsolicited commercial telephone call" means
 a call made by a person or recording device, on behalf of a person, corporation, or other entity,
 soliciting business or contributions.
    (g) Deliberately engaging or causing to engage the use of a telecommunications service or
 device of another person in a repetitive manner that causes interruption in telecommunications
 service or prevents the person from utilizing the person's telecommunications service or
 device.
    (h) Engaging in any of the conduct prohibited under subdivisions (a) to (g) if the person and
 the other person are spouses or former spouses, have or have had a dating relationship, have or
 have had a child in common, or are residents or former residents of the same household. As
 used in this subdivision, "dating relationship" means frequent, intimate associations primarily
 characterized by the expectation of affectional involvement. This term does not include a
 casual relationship or an ordinary fraternization between 2 individuals in a business or social
 context.
    (2) A person who violates this section may be imprisoned for not more than 6 months or
 fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. An offense is committed under this section if the
 communication either originates or terminates in this state and may be prosecuted at the place
 of origination or termination.
    (3) As used in this section, "telecommunications service" and "telecommunications device"
 mean those terms as defined in section 540c.