Q: Is it legal to disable and bypass the paywall for a news article?
For example, on Washington Post, it renders the article and then covers it with a soft paywall. It’s somewhat straightforward to open the browser web inspector and remove the paywall. Is this legal? Am I filthy criminal? What laws does this concern?
A:
No, it is generally not legal to disable or bypass a paywall for a news article. Paywalls are put in place by news organizations to restrict access to their content to those who have paid for it or subscribed to their services.
By bypassing the paywall, you are essentially accessing the content without paying for it or meeting the conditions set by the news organization for access. This can be seen as a violation of the terms of use or terms of service of the website, and potentially a violation of copyright law.
In some cases, bypassing a paywall could be considered a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), which is a U.S. federal law that prohibits unauthorized access to computer systems.
Therefore, while it may seem like a harmless action, bypassing a paywall without authorization could potentially expose you to legal action by the news organization. It's important to respect the terms of use of websites and pay for the content you consume, or consider subscribing to the publication if you want full access to their articles.
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