The U.S. Justice Department has dropped its appeal of seven felony wiretapping counts against journalist Tim Burke, though other criminal charges against him remain. Burke was indicted in 2024 after reporting on unaired Fox News footage, and a federal court dismissed the Wiretap Act counts in 2025. The remaining case still includes Computer Fraud and Abuse Act charges, a U.S. anti-hacking law critics say can be stretched to cover routine reporting activity.
Why it matters: This is a concrete legal test of how far prosecutors can use anti-hacking and interception laws against journalists. It matters to reporters, sources, and the public because the case could shape whether obtaining and publishing digital information is treated as journalism or as computer crime.
Freedom of the Press Foundation
2026.09.09
100% relevant
The article reports a new procedural milestone in the Tim Burke prosecution: DOJ abandoning its appeal of the dismissed Wiretap Act charges while keeping the broader case alive through remaining CFAA counts.
← Back to all stories