Which law outlaws various types of online fraud and prohibits unintentional damage if 'reckless disregard' is shown?

• A. COPPA
• B. FERPA
• C. FACTA
• D. CFAA

Answer: (D)

The key idea is a law that targets wrongdoing involving computers itself, including fraud and damage. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act covers acts like hacking, unauthorized access, and causing damage to computer systems or stealing data. It also recognizes liability when someone acts with reckless disregard for the risk to the system, meaning they knowingly proceed despite a conscious disregard for the potential harm their actions could cause. That combination—illegal access plus potential to cause damage in online environments—is what makes this statute the relevant one for online fraud and related harm.

The other laws address different rights and protections: one focuses on protecting children’s privacy online; another protects student education records; and the last deals with credit transactions and identity theft protections. None of these target computer fraud or the kind of reckless-disregard liability for damage to computer systems in the same way, so they don’t fit the scenario described.