Law isn't black and white. Motives do matter in the US legal system.

For an extreme example, murder requires intent. Most computer crimes also fall into this.

In this case he crossed the line a professional security researcher would not have by showing the data to a third party.

It's easy to downvote and move on, but I don’t think that does justice to the valid underlying concerns this parent comment raises. I don’t agree with the idea that there’s “no reason” to question the guy’s actions - because his methods do raise serious ethical and safety concerns - but I think it’s right to caution against kneejerk reactions that might lead to government overreach. We should be wary of how power can be used to silence people, even if those people did shitty things in the past or are controversial figures.

Ignoring the underlying point being made won't make it go away, and won’t help educate any of our peers who might take some of this stuff at face value.

> You should be able to be the worst person in the world and not hung for it.

Do you just believe that someone should be allowed to do anything they want and not face repercussions?