Is it against the law to hack into someone's email account?

Answer 1

It is illegal to read someone's mail because that is their property. However, it is probably not a crime that will be actively prosecuted except in extreme situations. It is definitely illegal to take mail out of someone's box.

Answer 2

First of all, not "hack" but "crack", and secondly - yes. It is illegal to circumvent protection put in there by the owner of {insert name of thing here}. Just like it's illegal to break into someone's home, it's as illegal to break into someone's e-mail account (it's called "cybercrime"). Such an act is penalized in many countries around the world.

Answer 3

It depends entirely on what country you live in. In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to access someone else's e-mail account if you do not have proper permission to do so as that activity is covered as an offence under Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. You can face up to 12 months imprisonment if convicted of an offence under Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, or a fine up to the statutory maximum (currently at £5,000) as per the current financial penalties defined under Section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982.

If you delete e-mails that belong to the account of someone else, you may also be convicted under Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

Section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982

Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990

Of course, if you live in the USA, Australia or somewhere else, there could be laws covering the act of accessing another's e-mail account without authorization. Although, morally, it's wrong to access someone else's e-mail account without their permission

Answer 4

It can be an "invasion of privacy" but if you leave it out where anyone can see it just by looking in that direction; Good luck making a case of it.

Answer 5

Yes, you are stealing their identity, it's fraud. A big crime.

Answer 6

Yes. It would be the same thing as breaking and entering into someones home just to go in and look around. just because you din't take anything, dosent mean that its not a crime.

Answer 7

Yes it is Illegal you can get fined

Answer 8

Yes.