• The New Yorker, Thursday, October 6, 2016 2:31 PM

Some researchers have abandoned or curbed plans to investigate whether Web companies discriminate against users, due to fears that online testing could spark claims that researchers violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. That law makes it illegal to access a site without authorization. Arguably, the prohibition applies when people violate a site's terms of service, such as by providing false information, scraping data or engaging in other research techniques. “The C.F.A.A. is so vague that anyone doing empirical Internet research may find himself or herself at risk,” Carnegie Mellon University's Alessandro Acquisti and Christina Fong tell The New Yorker.

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