Matt Weiss faces charges for accessing athletes' intimate photos
- Former Michigan coach Matt Weiss was indicted for hacking into the accounts of college athletes.
- He allegedly used compromised passwords to access sensitive personal information, targeting primarily female athletes.
- The case exposes significant privacy concerns and underscores the need for stricter data protection in collegiate athletics.
In the United States, a former assistant football coach at the University of Michigan, Matt Weiss, was indicted on multiple charges related to computer hacking. This indictment, which was filed in federal court in Detroit, revealed that Weiss accessed various digital accounts belonging to over 3,300 college athletes between 2015 and January 2023. His alleged actions included the unauthorized access of databases maintained by a third-party vendor and the downloading of private photographs and videos from the accounts of primarily female student-athletes. The investigation into Weiss began well before his indictment. He was fired from his position as co-offensive coordinator in January 2023 after failing to cooperate with the university's internal probe regarding potential computer-access crimes tied to his actions. It is reported that during his tenure, Weiss gained access to personal information such as sensitive medical data and personally identifiable information concerning over 150,000 athletes. This created a considerable breach of privacy that authorities took seriously. Weiss's indictment included 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. Legal experts noted the severity of these charges, as each count for unauthorized access could result in up to five years in federal prison, while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence if convicted. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Michigan Police Department together investigated Weiss’s activities rigorously, indicating a collaborative approach to protect the privacy of the individuals affected. The ramifications of Weiss's alleged misconduct extend beyond legal consequences. The case raises critical questions about the safety and privacy of college athletes, especially regarding sensitive information stored within institutional databases. The environment within college athletics necessitates heightened security measures and strict compliance protocols to safeguard student data. This situation demands accountability and transparency as further hearings and trials proceed in the coming months.