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Aaron's Law: Violating a Site's ToS Should Not Land You in Jail
Freddybear writes "Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren proposes a change to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) which would remove the felony criminal penalty for violating the terms of service of a website and return it to the realm of contract law where it belongs. This would eliminate the potential for prosecutors to abuse the CFAA in pursuit of criminal convictions for simple violations of a website's terms of service."
While I think this is a good idea, I think that it's really too superficial. It very narrowly addresses a very specific problem with the law.
There are two really great little tidbits I found online that talk about what the actual problems with the law are:
The first link is actually a really great series that provides a very nice explanation for a lot of things about how criminal law works.
Need a Python, C++, Unix, Linux develop
The system didn't do him in. PEOPLE caused his death. By taking away all other acceptable options.
The powers that be decided he must be "MADE AN EXAMPLE OF". Because "minor maybe crime" on a "computer" (ooo scary! hackers! cyber! oh nos!).
And he was smart enough to realize just how totally screwed he was. Now and in the decades coming of his future.
He took the only option left to anyone who doesn't like rape and a ruined life plus being billed for it. Death.
And the powers that be. Will never miss one night of sleep over it. Nothing will ever happen to them. And they will continue to do this to other people.
The wheels of the american justice machinery grind exceedingly slow and very fine.
Beware you don't get caught in them. Or else death is the only logical option open to you. Unless handcuffs, bars, rape and abuse is your thing.