US anti-fraud law makes deleting browser history a crime punishable by 20yrs in jail

‘An old law has come to the forefront, and it’s being applied in a way that could affect what you do on your PC. In a case close to the Boston Marathon bombings, a federal court will decide if the deletion of browser history was an obstruction of justice.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was signed into law by President Bush in 2002, largely in response to the 2001 Enron scandal. Though it deals mostly with corporate financial reporting, it is now being used for an entirely different purpose.

Khairullozhon Matanov, a former taxi driver and acquaintance of the Boston Marathon bombers, is due in court next week. But it’s not because he knew about the bombings beforehand, or because he participated in the attacks.

Instead, his crime was deleting his browser history in the days following the bombings. He’s been charged with obstruction of justice for the deed, and could spend the next 20 years in prison.’

Read more: US anti-fraud law makes deleting browser history a crime punishable by 20yrs in jail