New US law: Now illegal to share passwords to paid-for online services
Lawmakers in the state of Tennessee have passed a potentially significant new law, stating that it is illegal to share passwords to paid-for online services.
The bill was promoted by the music industry, keen to find another way to stop music sharing. The law, the first of its kind, is awaiting a signature from the governor, but soon it will be illegal for the people of Tennessee to share passwords to music- or film-streaming services.
Apparently the law was aimed at fraudsters who sell these passwords, but it will technically be illegal to use a password belonging to a friend or family member. It is unlikely the police will crack down on siblings sharing an account, but it seems the law could take an interest in any kind of larger scale sharing, such as emailing your password to all your friends.
[via The Huffington Post]
