Is creating and hosting a phishing site illegal?
<p>Would creating and hosting a phishing site imitating a site like Facebook or LinkedIn to show one person how realistic phishing scams can be (with that person's permission) be illegal in the US, specifically California?</p>

<p>Phishing schemes are generally speaking unlawful as they are designed to harm others economically through fraud. If you are involved in creating a site knowing that it will be used for that purpose, you may have liability as a conspirator in a fraudulent scheme if the plan to engage in fraudulent phishing activity is carried out.</p>
<p>Mere hosting of a site, without involvement in establishing its content, is probably exempt from liability under <a href="https://www.eff.org/issues/cda230" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act</a>.</p>

united-states copyright california fraud is-x-legal