Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

technologyreview.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–117 of 117 posts

Re: Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

#111

Post by olalonde »

VonGuard wrote: post #93
sneak wrote: post #41

Hi there - I'm the one who put up the $50k to bail weev out of jail.[1] (Otherwise he would have had to sit in Essex County Jail during these ~2 years since this started.) There were some others in line to assist (I live in Europe), but they all feared various forms of retribution/harassment from the FBI/DoJ, so it fell to me (someone with comparatively little to lose, stateside). This only serves to underscore the t…

I'm glad someone is taking on the task of defending Weev because the charges they have against him are ridiculous and stupid. Sadly, Weev's nature is that of a rattlesnake, and he's basically burned every bridge he could on his way here. Thus, the EFF will have nothing to do with him.

> Sadly, Weev's nature is that of a rattlesnake, and he's basically burned every bridge he could on his way here. Thus, the EFF will have nothing to do with him.

Could you expand on that? Why doesn't the EFF want to help him?

Re: Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

#112

Post by tptacek »

nitrogen wrote: post #109
tptacek wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would like it to be harder than it seems to be to prove conspiracy to commit fraud. I don't think I'd like it to be harder than it seems to be to prove unauthorized access. I know that's the opposite of what most nerds like me want, but I think we're well served by a very broad definition of unauthorized access, and we're poorly served by vague conspiracy laws in more places than just online. Note that under the US…

I know that's the opposite of what most nerds like me want, but I think we're well served by a very broad definition of unauthorized access, and we're poorly served by vague conspiracy laws in more places than just online. I do agree with you regarding conspiracy, but you are right that I would in principle prefer to have every Internet-facing system as robustly secured as if it had been independently reviewed by you…

The CFAA does not in practice prevent search engines from scraping pages. In order to be charged under the CFAA, you must willfully access specific information on a website in furtherance of a fraudulent scheme, which in turn means you must be making specific representations as to your identity or actions that a website could reasonably rely on in order to trick that website into doing something it wouldn't have done otherwise. In CFAA cases, the prosecution must prove not only unauthorized access (which is easy) but also fraud (which is not as easy).

Re: Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

#113

Post by sneak »

tptacek wrote: post #108
nitrogen wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's reasonable for them to argue that AT&T's server's willingness to give them the e-mail addresses means that obtaining the addresses was not illegal, and that despite mulling over the darker possibilities available to them, by choosing not to put the e-mail addresses to illegal use they committed no crime. They could argue that they should not be convicted of conspiracy because they ultimately decided not…

I would like it to be harder than it seems to be to prove conspiracy to commit fraud. I don't think I'd like it to be harder than it seems to be to prove unauthorized access. I know that's the opposite of what most nerds like me want, but I think we're well served by a very broad definition of unauthorized access, and we're poorly served by vague conspiracy laws in more places than just online. Note that under the US…

I think that you may be my only truly whitehat friend.

Re: Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

#114

Post by sneak »

DanBC wrote: post #99
sneak wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's further terrifying is that the courts have made restriction of his use of non-windows non-monitored computers part of his bail conditions - prior to a trial to determine guilt. A person who's only marketable skill is on the Internet, completely prohibited from using ssh or virtualization, by nothing more than an error-riddled FBI complaint document. (This started prior to the grand jury indictment.) He's been…

>What's further terrifying is that the courts have made restriction of his use of non-windows non-monitored computers part of his bail conditions - prior to a trial to determine guilt. How does he use a telephone? Or a suitably advanced toaster?

At first, we had to drive all over to find a phone that couldn't even MMS (because MMS can be used to send email). It was a nightmare.

Eventually some of those restrictions were relaxed.

Re: Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

#115

Post by sneak »

BryantD wrote: post #65

Bah, more weev hagiography? He's not a whistle blower, he's a troll. Look: first off, he didn't tell AT&T about the hack, he told a bunch of news organizations. See http://www.forbes.com/sites/firewall/2010/06/09/atts-ipad-ha... for details. "we did a benefit analysis and decided they could take our story viral the fastest." One of those organizations presumably told AT&T; all AT&T has ever said is that they learned…

Oh, weev isn't a good guy. He's a right shithead.

He's also a whistleblower.

The emails were not sold, pastebinned, or mailed MobileSafari overflows. The media was contacted because he's a megalomaniac.

One thing he is not is a criminal.

Re: Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

#116

Post by VonGuard »

olalonde wrote: post #111
VonGuard wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm glad someone is taking on the task of defending Weev because the charges they have against him are ridiculous and stupid. Sadly, Weev's nature is that of a rattlesnake, and he's basically burned every bridge he could on his way here. Thus, the EFF will have nothing to do with him.

> Sadly, Weev's nature is that of a rattlesnake, and he's basically burned every bridge he could on his way here. Thus, the EFF will have nothing to do with him. Could you expand on that? Why doesn't the EFF want to help him?

Sorry, not going there. Suffice to say, he burned a bridge.

Re: Jail Looms for Man Who Revealed AT&T Leaked iPad User E-Mails

#117

Post by rapala »

josteink wrote: post #31
robmurrer wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I look under your doormat, and there is a key, and I use it to open your front door...

Rather if you leave a (possibly classified) document under your doormat, am I a criminal if I find them and read them?

Depends on the document and jurisdiction. If I remember correctly, some levels of military classifications here in Finland require you to not read the document and return it to the officials. Of course the one who left the document would also get reprimanded at least.

Using someones password without permission is as illegal whether you shoulder surfed it, cracked it or red it from a post-it note.

Post reply on HN