Unsecured wireless Internet
A man in Alaska has his laptop taken by the police because he was using the local public library’s wireless Internet connection. The connection wasn’t encrypted or otherwise protected. It was being freely broadcast.
They’re considering criminal charges for “theft of service.”
It’s a good thing he didn’t go inside and try to read any books. Sure they’re sitting there on the shelves just begging for you to leaf through them, but that would be stealing. What do you think this is, the library?
This is madness… if a connection is being broadcast openly, it should be fair game. If you don’t want it to be publicly accessible, encrypt it.
woah easy on the library comment, from the article it doesn’t seem that it was the library that took issue with him using their internet connection. It was the police who are interested in his computer usage.
Heh
Sounds like shaky grounds to hold his computer to me… Especially since they don’t appear to have grounds to search it.
I agree with the post – using an open, unencrypted connection shouldn’t be illegal. However, lots of people with wi-fi routers probably don’t even realize the they’re open to use for anyone. And there are also individuals who use these open connections for bad things, making the connection’s owner look responsible.
This is a tough question.. I guess the only ones to blame are the router makers who don’t turn on encryption etc by default (though I guess most of them do these days).
They can take my laptop when they pry it from my cold dead hands:)
Just kidding, I agree with your post wholeheartedly. Give the guy back his computer — unless he’s a jihadist.
Found your blog through HotAir. I normally love Bryan, but it ticked me off to see his post regarding Ann using the term fagot. I think they post things like this on Ann just to get all the comments it generates. Oh well. I watched the video and thought it was hilarious. Now HotAir wants to tell us what’s funny and what’s not.
[...] use while telling a joke about pretty boy John Edwards. Who knew? Anyway, from HotAir I found the link to this blog which had posted this [...]
I agree with that open networks are open game, but did anyone else notice that the guy is 21 years old and his parents won’t let him use the internet after 9pm?
wow, I agree with you mark. Someone must’ve spiked my drink or something…!
Something tells me that there won’t be citywide wifi available in Alaska anytime soon. Unless they want to put entire cities under arrest.
http://nationwidevpn.com
Anybody knows who runs their own wifi network that setting
up password privileges is simple, not complicated, So whoever ran the library network should have known how to do this. “Give me a break!!!” I think soon they’ll arrest all downloaders and say their hurting the movie and video
game industry which i believe the sales market have soared in both…. I’m not saying it’s right to pirate software and such but quite a few people try then buy cause they like the product. sales can prove this. As for the “Wifi jacking” an open signal can prove to be a “free for all”.
I am always surprised at how many open wifi connections you can find when you look. Here in my apartment I can find several open connections.
But just because something is lying around unprotected that doesn’t mean I am allowed to take it. Taking a car with the keys in it is still theft.
That said, it would probably not be ok to use someones home wifi connection even if unencrypted. But if a library has an unencrypted connection, I think it would be fair to assume that this is a service to the public (my library has this as a service).
If he’s really 21 and the internet is really forbidden to him by his parents, I feel sorry for him.
Can be stolen your all secret infos with this way.
Also, I’m not sure why they took his laptop. It doesn’t remove the “service” from being freely available to anyone else. I assume it was the library that brought this to the police’s attention initially. I hope whoever is in charge of administrating the internet connection there got into some hot water as well.
woah easy on the library comment, from the article it doesn’t seem that it was the library that took issue with him using their internet connection. It was the police who are interested in his computer usage.
[...] use while telling a joke about pretty boy John Edwards. Who knew? Anyway, from HotAir I found the link to this blog which had posted this [...]
how did the police know in the first place?
Actually, I do’t undestand, where is a crime here? If it wasn’t protected and this guy didn’t know about what is it, it’s not a crime at all.
Sounds like shaky grounds to hold his computer to me… Especially since they don’t appear to have grounds to search it.http://www.kulturbalans.com/
Something tells me that there won’t be citywide wifi available in Alaska anytime soon. Unless they want to put entire cities under arrest.
very funny, especially the fact that the wlan belongs to a public library. Surving on open wlans is my favorite activity during holidays. I normally park my car in front of the house where I got the open wlan, checking my eMails. Next time I will have to be careful not to get arested.
That is straight stupidity. That is another reason why I would never go to Alaska lol. High speed internet should be free everywhere. http://t1-Service.net
thank you very good idea and article