Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing the Aaron's Law Act of 2015 to reform the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a sweeping anti-hacking law that criminalizes many forms of common Internet and computer use. This overly broad law currently allows breathtaking levels of prosecutorial discretion that invites serious overuse and abuse.

Together with Senator Rand Paul, and my colleagues in the House of Representatives, we introduce legislation to fix the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act which is long overdue for reform. Aaron's Law would curb the abuses of this outdated law while still preserving the tools needed to prosecute malicious attacks.

Our bill, inspired by the late Internet innovator and activist Aaron Swartz, who faced up to 35 years in prison for an act of civil disobedience, would reform the quarter-century-old law to better reflect computer and Internet activities in the digital age. Numerous and recent instances of heavy-handed prosecutions for non-malicious computer crimes have raised serious questions as to how the law treats violations of terms of service, employer agreement or website notices.

Aaron's Law is smart legislation that keeps up with the constant evolution of the Internet, and honors the late Aaron Swartz.

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