KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 26, 2018

Lying about your weight on an online dating site? Checking out who won the Falcons game from your work computer? Using your computer hacking knowledge as an “ethical hacker?” Those actions may become illegal if a Georgia bill gets voted into law, civil liberty advocates say.

Supporters of a bill making its way through the state legislature say it’s designed to give law enforcement the ability to prosecute “online snoopers” — hackers who break into a computer system but don’t disrupt or steal data. The legislation came in response to a recent data breach at a Georgia university in which unauthorized cybersecurity experts noticed the vulnerability of Georgia’s voting records.