Date: 15 Oct 1997 03:54:51 -0000
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From: "Carolyn P. Meinel" <cmeinel@techbroker.com>
Subject: [HH-CHAT] Communications Security Act
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X-Hacking-Heretic : Flush Censorship! Support the Hacking Heretics!
X-Loop: Hacking-Heretics-Chat

        Jericho has been trying to convince you that the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act (18 USC 2701-2711) applies only to the first
person in any chain of possession of electronic communications that the
owner did not choose to make public. Unfortunately it looks like I must
resort to prosecution to prove this particular point to jericho. As for
those of you who are able to do a Web search, check out the news story of
what happened when a Congressional committee investigating Newt Gingrich
made use of an intercepted cell phone conversation. If powerful politician
can't get away with it, jericho can't, either.
        You can also do a Web search to find out whether there is an
exemption in the law for errors on the part of your ISP or other people
doing work for you. I don't find the exemption. 
        Jericho's post to this list suggests that he hopes that his
monumental ignorance of the law, despite my best efforts to educate him,
will save him. I can see him before the judge: "Your Honor, Carolyn didn't
explain the law to me clearly enough. So that's why I set up a public ftp
site with her email. I had absolutely no idea this was even a naughty thing
to do, much less a Federal felony," sob, weep.
        One of these days I'll get around to doing a GTMHH on 18 USC
2701-2711. In the meantime, just remember this. If you use hacking to do
something to another person you wouldn't want done to yourself, don't do it.
That way you aren't likely to blunder into felony conviction.
Carolyn Meinel
M/B Research -- The Technology Brokers
http://techbroker.com

"Inside every digital circuit, there's an analog signal screaming to get
out." -- Al Kovalick, Hewlett-Packard

"Hex, Bugs, Rock & Roll" -- Bruce Conklin, Space Dynamics Lab, Utah State U.