Supreme Court: CFAA Violation Depends On Authorized Access, Not Improper Motives

Mealey's (June 3, 2021, 1:28 PM EDT) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reversing and remanding the conviction of a former police officer under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a U.S. Supreme Court majority on June 3 found that the statute’s authorized access provision “covers those who obtain information from particular areas in the computer . . . to which their computer access does not extend,” as opposed to obtaining accessible information with improper motives....