If a person intentionally gained “unauthorized access” to a computer or system, then he or she could be prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Yet if a cop does more or less the same thing by running unauthorized searches in confidential law enforcement databases, it’s likely no one would know about the misuse of the system nevertheless prosecute the police officer.

And some officers do run searches that have nothing to do with their jobs, claiming they are legally authorized to access the database, even though such searches have been used to help a rogue cop stalk a lover, for revenge against journalists, or to try to get even with some other enemy.

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