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Draft Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Update Expands Powers and Penalties
Despite calls to limit the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, it looks like Congress is planning to drastically expand the law and penalties. walterbyrd writes with a few of the major changes listed in the draft bill (22 pages): "Adds computer crimes as a form of racketeering. Expands the ways in which you could be guilty of the CFAA — including making you just as guilty if you plan to 'violate' the CFAA than if you actually did so. Ratchets up many of the punishments. Makes a very, very minor adjustment to limit 'exceeding authorized access.' Expands the definition of 'exceeding authorized access' in a very dangerous way. Makes it easier for the federal government to seize and forfeit anything."
TechCrunch also reports rumors that the plan is to push the bill through quickly for approval with a number of other "cybersecurity" bills in mid-April.
The bank bailout of 2008. Even though the banks failed the most basic rules of capitalism, there was no meaningful penalty for institutions or individuals.
The banks were not allowed to follow the most basic rules of capitalism. For example, a basic rule of capitalism is that you don't loan money to people who probably cannot pay you back. You don't want to be stuck with a foreclosure, you want the money back. CRA meant they had to make those loans if they wanted to stay in business ("stay in business" is a basic rule of capitalism). In other words, the banks had some of the basic rules of capitalism changed by social policy makers ("everyone should be able to own a home", e.g.) who didn't consider that the other rules were still in play.
Dodd-Frank regulation is crocodile tears.
Dodd and Frank are two of the social policy engineers who failed basic engineering math. Banks cannot stay in business when they hold bad paper, so they're going to get rid of it. Don't force them to take bad paper in the first place and the problem goes away. Refuse to re-regulate them when it becomes obvious something needs to be done and the problem gets worse, not better. No, Billy Sue and Bobby Jo who make minimum wage not being able to afford to buy a three bedroom house in the suburbs is NOT a problem. It doesn't need federal regulation to fix.
They still engage in appallingly bad behavior because of unbridled greed.
It is not unbridled greed to want to stay in business. It's a basic rule of capitalism. Nobody sane runs a business to run it into the ground. If you want any businesses at all, you have to put up with the "unbridled greed" that means they can stay in business and make a profit. (The scare quotes are there for a reason, btw.)
In addition: Big Pharma and Oxycontin. HDMI cables.
HDMI cables are a nefarious big-business plot?