This is a highly concerning issue, not only in the USA. I am a German scientist currently working in the field of IoT forensics, and I constantly have to ensure that I do not overstep legal boundaries, which significantly hinders my ability to conduct thorough research. For example, if I were to extract cloud tokens from an IoT device and use them to access my own account on the manufacturer's cloud, it could be considered computer sabotage, potentially resulting in imprisonment.

Even if I were to win such a case, there's a strong possibility that my equipment would be confiscated for months, effectively preventing me from working. The university would not provide support, as they generally avoid getting involved in the legal matters of their researchers.