We all know that the leaders of the personal computer revolution were criminals. From Bill Gates hacking his school computer so he would mostly have female classmates to Steve Jobs’ first business being selling blue boxes that hacked AT&T’s phone network for free long distance calls. But this current crop of technologists are truly rotten apples, violating one of countries most important (/ridiculous) laws – the Computer Fraud And Abuse Act.
Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame violated CFAA by hacking into Harvard’s network. Aaron Swartz of reddit fame violated CFAA by downloading too many free academic articles and now Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter, has admitted to being a ruthless criminal who endangers us all.
In an interview with 60 Minutes Mr. Dorsey admitted that he brazenly violated CFAA and is therefore, according to the United States Government, a greater threat to America than Al-Qaeda. Nothing is more dangerous than someone using a computer in ways older people who write and enforce laws don’t understand, nothing.
JACK DORSEY: I found a way into the website, I found a security hole. And –
LARA LOGAN: Is that the same thing as hacking?
JACK DORSEY: It’s uh, yes.
Bad move Jack.
You just admitted to violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. That warrants a 30 year jail sentence according to prosecutors Carmen Ortiz and Steve Heymann. And yes, once is enough, as Andrew “Weev” Aurenheimer just got a nice 3 year sentence for scraping an unprotected website can surely tell you. Zero tolerance. So get prepared to grab ankles Jack, you’re going to jail.
Unless, oh, you got money? Corporate America and their flunkies at the Justice Department like you?
Ahhh, never mind, you’re good. I didn’t realize you had money and connections – the law doesn’t apply to you. Laws are just for people the rich don’t like. Good luck everything is going to be fine.




19 Comments

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Sickening. We got it, the laws are just for the little people.
This calls for a Citizen’s Arrest. Wikipedia says
The Holder Doctrine applies not only to TBTF banks,
but also to key components of the TATI (Total Awareness Telecommunications Infrastructure).
“Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.” – John Locke
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act should be repealed.
There ya go. ;)
Thanks, but what happened to all of my earlier comments?
Just having fun with you for a bit. But you may return to calling me inane and ageist at anytime now. Have fun!
Have all the fun you want but actually, this is not fun for me.
I’m trying to make a very simple point that you, at whatever stage in the life cycle you may be, seem unable to comprehend that it’s not the age of the person who is writing the law… or enforcing the law…it’s the dang law.
There are just as many “young” people as “old” people who don’t understand how bad that law is.
There are not just as many young people as there are old people in Congress or high law enforcement agency positions. But sure.
So all you need to do is simply edit your post to reflect that it’s not about age but about who is…or isn’t..tech savvy and then we’re good.
Until then I stand by my charge that you are “ageist”.
Understood.
BTW, wasn’t Swarz rich? Or just not rich enough? Especially after paying for legal assistance?
But, I get your drift.
BTW, I think a comma would be good in the first line of your last graf. Should be “never mind, you’re good” — or do I misunderstand what you meant?
The reason it is extremely unlikely that Dorsey will be prosecuted is because very nearly every computer savvy person has done something similar. Fuck, I’ve been paid to do almost exactly what weev just got sentenced for (over a decade ago and therefore beyond the statute of limitations). That’s the really insidious thing about CFAA — it punishes such common conduct with such vastly disproportionate sentences that it is a tool for imprisoning people who are merely inconvenient, embarrassing, or offensive to the government.
And age matters here — digital natives intuitively know that the CFAA is dangerous. The claim that there are just as many young people as old supporting this law is nonsense on stilts.
It would be impossible to prosecute everyone who has violated the CFAA. What Dorsey copped to is the digital equivalent of jaywalking. Imagine how making jaywalking a felony would play out in the real world.
He was broke by the time he died and thanks, fixed it.
Exactly, which guarantees selective (political) prosecution.
Understood, but apparently not yet corrected.
And apparently still not corrected.