Legal Question in Family Law in Michigan
reading another person's emails
Is it illegal to read another person's email without their knowledge?
Asked on 8/24/07, 7:55 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Guy Clark
Clark Legal Services, PLC
Re: reading another person's emails
As a general rule, if you can access an email you probably have legal protection for reading it. An email is treated more like a piece of paper than a telephone call. Email and voice mail access is not an interception of a live conversation as contemplated by most evesdropping statues. Note that there are federal and state laws which apply to evesdropping and when one may not prohibit an act, the other may still make it illegal. But always weigh the consequences reading another person's personal stuff. They tend to loose trust in you once discovered.
Answered on 8/24/07, 11:03 pm