If you’re like me you’re probably often bemused by law enforcement’s almost comical misunderstanding of computers and software. As entertaining as it can be, it can also lead to tragedy. A recent example is the prosecutorial abuse in the Aaron Swartz case.
Over at Boing Boing, they have an absolutely hilarious, if frightening, article about the FBI’s panic over computer games in the early days of the home computer revolution. People were investigated and questioned, equipment and game scripts were seized, companies were put out of business because the FBI was worried that these games were passing on forbidden knowledge of computer hacking to the masses. Obviously something had to be done.
It’s funny at this remove but the same attitudes are prevalent today. Consider the life without parole sentence given to Ross Ulbricht for the crime of running a dark-web drug trading site. However you feel about drug use and those who enable it, this seems excessive. I’d be willing to bet that absent the computer involvement, Ulbricht would have received a much less severe sentence.