Legal Question in Technology Law in Georgia

Re: Email privacy

The person who accessed your account may be liable for at least a couple different causes of action. The first is the actual trespass to your account. The second is the dissemination of the information. The bugaboo in these cases is often the determination of damages.

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Re: Email privacy

Since you are a high schooler in Georgia, what causes of action you might have under South Dakota law doesn't help you much, and I doubt a South Dakota lawyer can do much for you, even if he can ethically advise you in Georgia.

Likewise, I am an Illinois, Missouri, Okalhoma & Texas lawyer not licensed in Georgia, so I will give you some fatherly advise rather than legal advice.

If the material involved is something you could disclose to a school official, that is probably the most effective solution as the school would probably want to discourage the snooper and blabbermouth, particularly if this is on some school computer system.

If the subject would get you in trouble with the school, then you should still go to the school but just tell them that you cannot reveal the specifics of the emails that were pilfered and broadcast, and ask what help the school can provide without you having to release the contents of the emails. At the minimum they should consider revoking the sneak's email access and publicly punishing him or her if they (and you) can prove the transgression.

If this is outside the school, or the school won't help, go to the police and report it. That is their job, to investigate and stop criminal activity.