Should he have been charged?

[Indofred]

BBC News - Briton Lauri Love faces new US hacking charges

A British man has been charged with hacking into US Federal Reserve computer servers and stealing the personal information of users.

Lauri Love of Stradishall, Suffolk, faces one count each of computer hacking and aggravated identify theft.

Given the U.S. government is guilty of far more hacking than this guy, do they have the right to charge him with anything?

In my humble opinion, the pot is calling the kettle, black.

 

[Two Thumbs]

The US government is by the people.

while the gov fucks the people over, it doesn't mean everyone else gets a pass.

if we did that, anyone could hack anything and we would have to get rid of computers.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

BBC News - Briton Lauri Love faces new US hacking charges

A British man has been charged with hacking into US Federal Reserve computer servers and stealing the personal information of users.

Lauri Love of Stradishall, Suffolk, faces one count each of computer hacking and aggravated identify theft.

Given the U.S. government is guilty of far more hacking than this guy, do they have the right to charge him with anything?

In my humble opinion, the pot is calling the kettle, black.

You’re entitled to your opinion, however humble, provided you understand it is wrong.

That you might subjectively perceive a given government’s actions ‘criminal’ doesn’t mitigate actual crimes allegedly committed by individuals, nor the authority of that government to prosecute crime, such as in this case, where charges are indeed warranted.

 

[Indofred]

That you might subjectively perceive a given government’s actions ‘criminal’ doesn’t mitigate actual crimes allegedly committed by individuals, nor the authority of that government to prosecute crime

I'm not suggesting he didn't commit a crime or crimes, but I am suggesting the U.S. government are not in any position to charge him with anything.
You can hardly complain when someone does exactly what you've been doing.

 

[WillowTree]

That you might subjectively perceive a given government’s actions ‘criminal’ doesn’t mitigate actual crimes allegedly committed by individuals, nor the authority of that government to prosecute crime

I'm not suggesting he didn't commit a crime or crimes, but I am suggesting the U.S. government are not in any position to charge him with anything.
You can hardly complain when someone does exactly what you've been doing.

Yes you can. If he broke the law he can be charged with a crime. Period.

 

[Kondor3]

Yes, he should be charged.

Probably by proxy, on behalf of the United States, by HM Government, if the legal mechanisms exist for such a prosecution-by-proxy, unless the UK is willing to extradite in this case.

It's bad enough when governments spy on each other, such as may be seen to be conducted by the United States itself, in several recently unmasked incidents or time periods.

It's bad enough when governments spy on their own people, or the citizens of other nations, in connection with security concerns, genuine and otherwise, and even worse when merely for the sake of data collection...

But hacking into the mission-critical systems of government agencies deemed vital to the good working order of entire national economies...

That poses a potential and serious threat to national and world stability and prosperity, and that just can't be allowed... touchy-feelie hyperbole about hipocrisy be damned...

Screw-around with the Money Engine of a country and you're asking for a special and dedicated Can of Whoop-Ass, coming your way...

To make matters worse, he's been working (according to BBC reports) with other people, to hack into US Dept of Defense, FBI, NASA and EPA systems...

Those last two (DOD, FBI) are equivalent to an American hacking into the UK's MoD systems, and those of whatever collection of agencies in the UK passes for a collective equivalent of the FBI (MI5, etc.)...

It seems likely that the Brits would be willing to seriously consider extradition in such a case, but, if not, we might end-up reviewing the entire array of extradition agreements between ourselves and the UK, to plug the holes or set them aside...

And even if some 'forgiving' Brit colleague chimes-in and says "We don't mind" - about hacking into their systems - well... we mind, dammit !

A brilliant hack-job, I'm sure, although the 'covering of tracks' aspect of the sortie leaves something to be desired...

Rubbing salt in the wound, he was dumb enough to get caught...

Welcome to your consequences...

"Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time... yeah... don't do it!"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAUFuTKdWAw]Baretta theme song w/ Sammy Davis Jr. - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Indofred]

Yes, he should be charged.

Probably by proxy, on behalf of the United States, by HM Government, unless the UK is willing to extradite in this case.

It's bad enough when governments spy on each other, such as may be seen being undertaken by the United States itself, in several recently unmasked incidents or time periods.

The United states government has spied on civilians all over the world.
I demand the whole lot, including every suspected member of the N.S.A.'s hacking teams be charged with hacking offences and extradited to the first country that can get the charge sheet printed first.
Pakistan would be my first choice.

Would that be acceptable and, if so, I will drop any objection to this British man being sent to the U.S.

 

[Indofred]

Added - that would also include Bush regime politicians.

 

[Kondor3]

"Yes, he should be charged..."

"The United states government has spied on civilians all over the world..."

Indeed, we have. Especially in Islamist third-world shit-holes.

"...I demand the whole lot..."

Yes, yes, yes... very nice, I'm sure.

"...if so, I will drop any objection..."

Object away... have at it...