Workers Who Accessed Data Not Liable for Computer Fraud (1)

Former employees aren’t liable under a federal computer fraud law for allegedly sharing with a business rival confidential information found on company computers, a federal court said.

The employees who worked for Wachter Inc., a communications equipment provider, didn’t violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act because they had permission to access Wachter’s computer system, regardless of whether they misused the data they found, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee ruled May 7.

The ruling highlights the split among courts over whether the law applies to workers who properly access information but improperly use it.

Wachter ...