Criminal Code Arts. 196-198 and 198-1, Computer Misuse and Unauthorised Access Offenses
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force since 1 February 2025.
A computer misuse rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not connect to an information system in Lithuania, or a part of it, by breaching its security measures; unauthorized connection risks criminal liability of up to two years' imprisonment, or up to three years where the system has strategic national-security or major economic or financial significance, under Criminal Code Art. 198-1.
- Do not destroy, damage, delete, alter, or otherwise restrict the use of electronic data on a system in Lithuania without authorization, disrupt the system's operation, or unlawfully observe, intercept, acquire, hold, or disseminate its non-public electronic data; any of these risks criminal liability of up to six years' imprisonment where it reaches multiple systems, a system of strategic or major economic significance, another person's personal data, or causes major damage, under Criminal Code Arts. 196-198.
- Expect a legal entity, not only the individual who acted, to face liability under each of these articles.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Criminal Code Art. 198-1 punishes unauthorized connection to an information system by breaching its security measures with up to two years' imprisonment (three years for a system of strategic or major economic significance); Arts. 196-197 punish unlawful interference with electronic data or an information system's operation with up to two years (six years aggravated); Art. 198 punishes unlawful interception and use of non-public electronic data with up to four years (six years aggravated). A legal entity is also liable under each article.
What it reaches
Obligation class
Access restriction
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Article 198-1 punishes unlawfully connecting to an information system or part of it by breaching that system's security measures, up to two years' imprisonment, rising to three years where the system has strategic national-security or major state-governance, economic, or financial significance; the authorization test is keyed to circumventing a technical protection measure, so a crawl of an unprotected public page is not reached by it.
Articles 196 and 197 punish unlawfully destroying, damaging, deleting, or altering electronic data, or disrupting an information system's operation, causing damage, up to two years, rising to six years for the same aggravating circumstances or a large-scale effect across multiple systems or use of another person's personal data.
Article 198 punishes unlawfully observing, recording, intercepting, acquiring, holding, disseminating, or otherwise using non-public electronic data, up to four years, rising to six years for the same aggravating circumstances. A legal entity is also liable for each offense.
When LexLint raises it
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