Privacy on the net

[SaintJude]

Hi folks

When I was in my late teenage years/around twenty. My good friend set me up with an email account it was the early years of the internet. He set up my password. He told me his.

In our late twenties we drifted apart but not through amimosity. A couple of years ago I was thinking fondly of our time together and wandered if he still had that email address and password. Without an inch of malice I logged onto his account. I looked to see if there was any emails from anyone I knew. I think I started reading one. Then it suddenly dawned on me I probably shouldn’t be doing this and logged off.

Now I am freaking out. Have I sinned? Do i need to tell him? It would be really awkward and I don’t remember what I read to be honest i was just being nostalgic

 

[Rutherford2]

Go to Sunday or Weekday mass. Your venial sins should be wiped off. And for extra precaution, say a Rosary.

 

[c1949]

according to paragraph 1735 of the catechism of the catholic church, the imputability and responsibility for an action is diminished or nullified by a number of factors. One of those is “inadvertence”

Another condition is ignorance…

So, if you did this without full knowledge and consent to what the gravity was, your responsibility may be diminished or nullified. At this point it may be best to apologize to your friend and beg forgiveness, while admitting what happened.

 

[SaintJude]

Do I have to tell him? It was a couple of years ago and I haven’t been in touch with him for a few years (he lives in another country)! It would just be so awkward emailing him out the blue. Am i obliged to? I have gained nothing from the experience. It was all innocent but coming across in an email it may seem sinister/weird. It was probably less than a minute.

 

[Roguish]

Do i need to tell him?

What you did isn’t a very big deal, but get in touch with him anonymously to let him know that he should change his password. Tell him his password to convince him. This way, he’ll change the password, and if you’re ever tempted to check his emails again you won’t be able to.

(The obvious way to contact him anonymously would be to set up a new (free) email account with some nondescript name, use it for this one message, and then terminate the account.)

 

[QwertyGirl]

This would be very creepy, for him as the receiver. OP, please dont do this. Move on and don’t snoop anymore

 

[Roguish]

This would be very creepy, for him as the receiver. OP, please dont do this. Move on and don’t snoop anymore

I only proposed the anonimity because the OP seems reluctant to get in touch with this guy. What’s the alternative? Leave him to use the email account for years on end without ever knowing that there is at least one person with access to all his private emails, including the option of impersonating him, checking emails from his bank, credit card company, etc.? Come on, someone has to let the guy know, either anonymously or openly.

 

[QwertyGirl]

Not really, though. If OP is the only person with this knowledge, then OP can make sure it isn’t a problem by not accessing the account. If others have access, that shouldn’t be OPs concern.

If I received an anonymous email like that, I would find it creepy and would then feel like I would need to change all my passwords and be worrying about identity theft. Not a nice thing to do. And time consuming, too.

 

[crenfro]

Hello.

Confession may help with this. My opinion, yes, I know they’re like noses, my opinion, anyway, is to go to confession and just not do that again. If it would harm your friend, it may probably be better not to tell him. Part of the penance could be dealing with your guilt until time does its healing.

Maybe just consider this a learning experience?

God bless you for caring so much about your friend.

 

[Arwing]

Now I am freaking out. Have I sinned? Do i need to tell him? It would be really awkward and I don’t remember what I read to be honest i was just being nostalgic

Venial sin maybe. No you don’t need to tell him.

I think some email clients notify the user if suspicious activity like logging on from a new device in a different location occurs, to make sure it’s them, so there’s that.