> So the FBI used unauthorized access to the computers to uninstall the malware? Scary if you think about it. I'm sure they could have used that access any way

> So the FBI used unauthorized access to the computers to uninstall the malware? Scary if you think about it. I'm sure they could have used that access any way they wanted. The access was always possible. Not just by the FBI. In fact, it was already being accessed by the botnet operators. The issue here is _permission_ and _precedent_. The government gave itself permission to go into these computers and cleanup the botnet. What explicit permission did they grant themselves and what precedent does that set? I'm pretty hesitant/paranoid about the U.S. government and the powers we (citizens) grant them. But this one surprisingly sits right with me. It looks thoughtfully applied and constrained - a very tactical operation to go in and cleanup a botnet without accessing any unnecessary data in the process. https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-08/23mj4244_application_redacted.pdf https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-08/23mj4244_application_reda...