Keith Mack
Aaron Swartz was an internet activist and innovator who was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) by downloading millions of academic articles that were only available via a subscription service. He was also arrested on breaking-and-entering charges as he attempted to download the articles from an unmarked and unlocked closet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Swartz died by suicide while facing a potential 35-year prison sentence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Law broken | Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) |
| Action | Illegally downloading millions of academic articles |
| Sentence | Potential 35-year prison sentence |
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What You'll Learn
Breaking-and-entering charges
Aaron Swartz was arrested by police affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on breaking-and-entering charges. Swartz was attempting to download academic journal articles from JSTOR from an unmarked and unlocked closet.
Swartz was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of 1986, which governs computer abuse in the United States. The CFAA has widespread application in business practices to ensure legal and ethical conduct with regard to computer-based information and documents.
Swartz faced a potential 35-year prison sentence for illegally downloading millions of academic articles that were only available via a subscription service.
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Violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)
Aaron Swartz was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of 1986. The CFAA is the law that governs computer abuse in the United States. It has widespread application in business practices to ensure legal and ethical conduct with regard to computer-based information and documents.
Swartz was arrested by police affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on breaking-and-entering charges. He was attempting to download academic journal articles from JSTOR from an unmarked and unlocked closet. Swartz was facing a potential 35-year prison sentence for illegally downloading millions of academic articles that were only available via a subscription service.
The CFAA has been amended several times since its enactment in 1986. Changes occurred in 1989, 1994, 1996, and 2002. The controversial U.S. Patriot Act greatly impacted the CFAA in 2001, and the 2008 Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act also affected the scope of the law.
Aaron's Law, a bill introduced in the United States Congress in 2013, proposed amending the CFAA. The bill was named for the lasting influence of Aaron Swartz, an internet innovator and activist who died by suicide while facing charges under the CFAA. However, Aaron's Law did not pass Congress.
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Illegally downloading millions of academic articles
Aaron Swartz was arrested by police affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for breaking-and-entering. He was attempting to download academic journal articles from JSTOR from an unmarked and unlocked closet. Swartz was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) by illegally downloading millions of academic articles that were only available via a subscription service. The CFAA is the law that governs computer abuse in the United States and has widespread application in business practices to ensure legal and ethical conduct with regard to computer-based information and documents.
Swartz's actions sparked a debate between hacker culture and copyright culture, young people and old people. Some argued that in a nation ruled by laws, it was not okay for one person to just go and break a law they felt was unjust. Others compared Swartz to Gandhi, who also spent time in prison for his beliefs.
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Concealing the crime
Aaron Swartz was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) by illegally downloading millions of academic articles that were only available via a subscription service. He was also arrested on breaking-and-entering charges as he attempted to download academic journal articles from JSTOR from an unmarked and unlocked closet.
Swartz was attempting to conceal the crime, rather than publicly violating the law to draw attention to its putative unfairness.
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Activist behaviour
Aaron Swartz was an internet activist who was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of 1986. The CFAA is the law that governs computer abuse in the United States and has widespread application in business practices to ensure legal and ethical conduct with regard to computer-based information and documents.
Swartz was arrested by police affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on breaking-and-entering charges. He was attempting to download academic journal articles from JSTOR from an unmarked and unlocked closet. Swartz was facing a potential 35-year prison sentence for illegally downloading millions of academic articles that were only available via a subscription service.
Some have argued that Swartz's actions were not a case of civil disobedience, as he did not publicly violate the law to draw attention to its unfairness. Instead, he attempted to conceal the crime. However, others have compared him to Gandhi, suggesting that he was willing to make sacrifices for his cause.
In the wake of Swartz's death, Representative Zoe Lofgren of California proposed a bill called Aaron's Law, which aimed to amend the CFAA. The bill did not pass Congress but has had a lasting influence on legal discussions regarding the act.
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Frequently asked questions
Aaron Swartz was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of 1986.
Swartz was charged with 13 criminal counts for downloading millions of academic articles from an academic journal database, JSTOR, on MIT's network.
Swartz was facing a potential 35-year prison sentence.
