Supreme Court Narrows Scope of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in Van Buren v. United States
Highlights
A recent Supreme Court decision narrows the scope of liability under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)
According to the Court, the CFAA does not apply to a person who has been granted access to electronic information and uses that information for an improper purpose
The statute now only imposes liability where a person hacks into, or accesses, electronic databases that the person does not have permission to access
A June U.S. Supreme Court opinion has clarified the scope of the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). In Van Buren v. United States, the Court issued a 6-3 ruling, with an opinion authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, holding that while the CFAA prohibits a person from wrongfully gaining access to electronic information in a computer that is “off limits” to the person, the statute does not prohibit a person who has been granted access to electronic information through their employment from obtaining and using that information for an improper purpose.
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