Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)

6 results arranged by date

CPJ cautiously welcomes UK court decision on Assange, says US must now drop charges

New York, January 24, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists cautiously welcomed a British court’s decision on Monday allowing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to apply to appeal against a lower court’s ruling that he could be extradited to face criminal charges in the United States. “We are glad that Julian Assange will be allowed…

Read More ›

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, pictured in a prison van in the U.K. on May 1, 2019. The U.S. has disclosed charges under the Espionage Act against Assange. (AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)

UK ruling on extraditing Wikileaks’ Assange ‘seriously damages journalism’

New York, December 10, 2021–The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed deep disappointment at a British court’s decision to uphold the United States Justice Department’s appeal to extradite Julian Assange, which allows the U.S. to continue pursuing the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder, according to news reports.  “On the same day the Nobel Peace Prize…

Read More ›

The Markup’s Nabiha Syed on how the Supreme Court could protect data journalism

At first glance, the connection between data journalism and a Georgia police officer accused of accessing a government database for an improper purpose might seem tenuous. However, journalists and legal experts have highlighted the press freedom implications of a pending Supreme Court decision in the case of the officer, Nathan Van Buren, who is appealing…

Read More ›

The Dropbox logo is seen in an illustration photo from July 28, 2017. The City of Fullerton, California, says two journalists violated computer crimes laws by accessing files hosted in a Dropbox folder without permission. (Reuters/Thomas White)

Fullerton journalists sued for “hacking” city’s open Dropbox folder

In a complaint filed in the California Superior Court of Orange County on October 24, 2019, the City of Fullerton, California accused a community blog and two contributors of violating anti-hacking laws for accessing confidential files city employees posted online, according to their lawyer Kelly Aviles and court documents reviewed by CPJ. Aviles told CPJ…

Read More ›

Police watch supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protesting in London on June 14, 2019 before a scheduled court date in his fight against extradition to the United States, where he faces prosecution for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, as well as the Espionage Act. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Tech journalists troubled by Assange computer intrusion charge

The Trump administration’s decision to charge Julian Assange with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act has generated significant controversy. One legal expert described it as “crossing a “constitutional Rubicon.” CPJ warned that the indictment could be the opening salvo in a broader attack on First Amendment journalistic protections. The 18th charge against Assange–of violating…

Read More ›

Metropolitan Police officers carry WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during his arrest, following the Ecuadoran government's termination of asylum, in London on April 11, 2019. (Adrian Cotterill/Daily Dooh via Reuters)

Why the prosecution of Julian Assange is troubling for press freedom

After a seven-year standoff at the Ecuadoran embassy in London, British police yesterday arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange–a development press freedom advocates had long feared.

Read More ›