4 ms·

Leaving a paper trail of you having accessed unauthorized private info is a bad idea, some crazy lawyer could decide to include you in a suit. Just not worth th

by oefrha 6mo ago

Leaving a paper trail of you having accessed unauthorized private info is a bad idea, some crazy lawyer could decide to include you in a suit. Just not worth the hassle. Email a tip line about the general situation.

Barbing 6mo ago
Good call!
Ekaros 6mo ago
Not to forget some eager prosecutors. They can still try to prosecute for accessing material even if they end up losing. Lot of hassle there.
ndsipa_pomu 6mo ago
How is it unauthorised if it's freely available via a search without having to bypass any login? It'd be like putting up an advert and then trying to sue anyone who sees it.
- oefrha 6mo ago
  Some crazy lawyer included my parents in a traffic death suit’s defendants while they were victims who had their car badly damaged when the reckless driver rammed into two cars (including my parents’) and two pedestrians. The question isn’t whether you’re at fault, it’s whether you want to risk getting a court summons.
  - ndsipa_pomu 6mo ago
    I'm confused about what you're saying - are you saying that your parents risked getting a court summons though they weren't at fault? Surely the entire point of the court system is to determine who, if anyone, is at fault.
    - oefrha 6mo ago
      They didn't get a court summons but the court did call and send the plaintiff's filing. They were clearly not in the wrong in that case but it was still a hassle and quite a confusion. The point is people can sue you even if it's BS and you still need to respond. In this case leaving a paper trail of having accessed unauthorized confidential information looks a lot like being in the wrong, so the potential hassle is a lot higher. You can argue it's not unauthorized after all, and you'll likely win, but you may need to expand time and energy arguing in the first place. And it could be significant. Edit: In addition, (a) accidentally opening a confidential document -> oops, close immediately; and (b) taking a screenshot could be different legally (NAL yada yada), doing the latter could make it a lot harder to defend yourself.
      - Barbing 6mo ago
        HN saves
    - efreak 6mo ago
      Determining who is at fault involves extreme annoyance and inconvenience for those who had fingers pointed at them, regardless of whether or not they were actually involved. If you involve yourself willingly, you're inviting that on yourself.

by oefrha 6mo ago

Barbing 6mo ago

Good call!

Ekaros 6mo ago

Not to forget some eager prosecutors. They can still try to prosecute for accessing material even if they end up losing. Lot of hassle there.

ndsipa_pomu 6mo ago

How is it unauthorised if it's freely available via a search without having to bypass any login? It'd be like putting up an advert and then trying to sue anyone who sees it.

oefrha 6mo ago
Some crazy lawyer included my parents in a traffic death suit’s defendants while they were victims who had their car badly damaged when the reckless driver rammed into two cars (including my parents’) and two pedestrians. The question isn’t whether you’re at fault, it’s whether you want to risk getting a court summons.
- ndsipa_pomu 6mo ago
  I'm confused about what you're saying - are you saying that your parents risked getting a court summons though they weren't at fault? Surely the entire point of the court system is to determine who, if anyone, is at fault.
  - oefrha 6mo ago
    They didn't get a court summons but the court did call and send the plaintiff's filing. They were clearly not in the wrong in that case but it was still a hassle and quite a confusion. The point is people can sue you even if it's BS and you still need to respond. In this case leaving a paper trail of having accessed unauthorized confidential information looks a lot like being in the wrong, so the potential hassle is a lot higher. You can argue it's not unauthorized after all, and you'll likely win, but you may need to expand time and energy arguing in the first place. And it could be significant. Edit: In addition, (a) accidentally opening a confidential document -> oops, close immediately; and (b) taking a screenshot could be different legally (NAL yada yada), doing the latter could make it a lot harder to defend yourself.
    - Barbing 6mo ago
      HN saves
  - efreak 6mo ago
    Determining who is at fault involves extreme annoyance and inconvenience for those who had fingers pointed at them, regardless of whether or not they were actually involved. If you involve yourself willingly, you're inviting that on yourself.