Defending a Hacker: Amicus brief for U.S. v. Andrew Auernheimer

In an amicus brief written in defense of computer expert and hacker Andrew Auernheimer, Jennifer Granick and Jonathan Mayer argue that independent security testing of websites strengthen user privacy. Auernheimer, known online as weev, was convicted of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) by acquiring AT&T's private user information without permission through a privacy flaw in AT&T's website.

Granick and Mayer claim that Auernheimer used the same techniques as legally-operating security and privacy research firms, and that this independent testing can expose security and privacy flaws that businesses would otherwise not disclose publicly.