Law / United States / Missouri
Tampering with computer data, computer equipment, and computer users
Mo. Rev. Stat. Secs. 569.095 to 569.099
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 January 2017.
A computer misuse rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not access a Missouri-connected computer, computer system, or computer network without authorization or without reasonable grounds to believe you have authorization.
- Do not modify, destroy, disclose, or take computer data, programs, or supporting documentation, or a password or other access-control information, without authorization.
- Do not access a computer and intentionally examine information about another person without authorization.
- Do not deny computer system services to an authorized user.
- A scheme to defraud or obtain property worth 750 dollars or more, or equipment damage of 750 dollars or more, escalates the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
A class A misdemeanor (up to one year in jail), rising to a class E felony where the conduct is committed to defraud or obtain property worth 750 dollars or more, or (for computer-equipment tampering) causes damage of 750 dollars or more, and to a class D felony where equipment damage reaches 25,000 dollars or more.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
A person commits tampering with computer data, computer equipment, or computer users if, knowingly and without authorization or without reasonable grounds to believe he or she has authorization, the person modifies, destroys, discloses, or takes computer data, programs, or supporting documentation; discloses or takes a password or other information controlling access to a system; accesses a computer and intentionally examines information about another person; accesses, modifies, destroys, damages, or takes computer equipment or a computer, system, or network; or denies computer system services to an authorized user.
Each offense is a class A misdemeanor unless committed to defraud or obtain property worth 750 dollars or more, or (for tampering with computer equipment) causes damage of 750 dollars or more, in which case it is a class E felony, rising to a class D felony where the equipment damage reaches 25,000 dollars or more.
The without-authorization test is undefined by the statute and, unlike Virginia's parallel statute, carries no separate requirement of malicious intent or intentionally deceptive means; no Missouri appellate decision was located applying it to automated collection of a public, unauthenticated web page.
When LexLint raises it
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Read the law
official Missouri statute text, Revised Statutes of Missouri sections 569.095 to 569.099