Where To Draw the Line When Punishing Email Snooping?

Slashdot recounts a recent case of a Philadelphia TV news anchor charged with breaking into his co-anchor's email accounts.

Lawrence Mendte was charged with one felony count of 'intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization and obtaining information in furtherance of a tortious act.'

News anchor Mendte, of CBS affiliate KYW-TV is accused of secretly accessing one work and two personal email accounts for co-anchor Alycia Lane between March 2007 and May 2008.

"People expect that e-mail in a password-protected, personal e-mail account is private," said acting U.S. Attorney Laurie Magid. "If you think of it in the context of another era, it's no different than someone stealing your locked briefcase containing confidential information from your lawyer, prying it open and helping themselves to the contents. The mere accessing and reading of privileged information is criminal. This case, however, went well beyond just reading someone's e-mail."

Mendte allegedly shared private and legal information from stolen email documents with a reporter from the Philadelphia Daily News.

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