Tell your Lawmaker: Reform the CFAA Now
Under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), we could all be felons.
By criminalizing violations of 'terms-of-use' agreements--that long fine print you 'agree to' but hardly ever read--the CFAA allows prosecutors to go after users for the most miniscule violations.
That could include lying about your height on a dating profile or checking ESPN on your work computer.
As you probably know, the CFAA is what allowed prosecutors to trump up the charges against Aaron Swartz, and in the past few days it has been to viciously punish other computer users for victimless offenses.
Representative Zoe Lofgren and Senator Ron Wyden have proposed long overdue amendments to the CFAA--reforms that would prevent this kind of prosecutorial overreach and abuse--but their bill needs more cosponsors.
Their amendments are being called "Aaron's Law" to honor the memory and legacy of Aaron Swartz--who tragically took his own life in January after enduring two years of relentless persecution for the alleged crime of downloading too many academic articles from JSTOR too fast.
Since it was first proposed, Aaron's Law has incorporated the input of Reddit users, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Aaron's family, and others. Rep. Lofgren has stated that the bill "would help protect other Internet users from outsized liability for everyday activity.” And it seeks to prevent the kind of overbroad interpretations and prosecutorial overreach that lead to Aaron's persecution.
Just add your name at right to tell your lawmakers to sponsor Aaron's Law.
EFF has created a clearinghouse on CFAA info, here.
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