Geeklawyer uses WiFi at home: its pretty useful to be able to wander around with a laptop from lounge to kitchen to bedroom and still browse the web and do email. However no-one has yet invented electromagnetic waves that stop at ones front door and this can result in unforeseen circumstances like ones neighbours using ones WiFi connection to do their Internet browsing.
Generally that is fine but the potential for abuse is great: what if your neighbour uses your wireless connection to download kiddy porn or make threats? there is then some chance that the cops will turn up at your door saying that the connection was traced to your broadband connection. You may be switched on enough to realise what is happening or, improbably, the police might be. But would they believe you? It is trivial to put a password on such networks and frustrate all the but the most determined hacker.
A new Californian law aims to force WiFi manufacturers to put stickers on WiFi products reminding buyers to secure their networks. Jolly sensible too.
Of course the cynical might suggest that those leaving their networks open do so precisely for the purposes of availing themselves of a plausible deniability defence if accused of download kiddy porn or music or criticising the government or somesuch evil. Some reports indicate this is happening.
Techdirt suggest that this law is intended to make the default position one of illegality save explicit permission to access.
Geeklawyer speculates that facilitating the removal of anonymous communication may well be the real objective. If so there are so many other options it is likely to be unsuccessful and thus may not be the real objective. Geeklawyer can be prone to paranoia.
One forgets so much law in life… but one would like to think that s.13 Theft Act 1968 (as amended) (Abstaction of electricity) - although not framed for this eventuality, might cover the point… if not.. then I am sure that a quick email to Dr John ‘Witchfinder General’ Reid will sort the problem.
I’m so bored by do-gooders interfering in our lives… I have absolutely no desire to interfere with a corpse, or take a goat out to dinner and ply it with wine- but when I see governments with rather more pressing problems than lawyers, investment bankers, accountants, vicars, and other middle class folk who may have a taste occasionally) for a bit of ‘le Vice Anglais’ - formulating new laws which may (because of appalling drafting) cover people who do want to play SM games between consenting adults - then I wonder where we are going
The trouble with modern legislation ? A lot of it is shoddy - badly drafted.
I mean… when did you last see a case on The original Sale of Goods Act 1893, as drafted by Sir Edward Chalmers, be analysed in terems of bad drafting. The Victorians knew how to build..they also knew how to draft with… precision.
I am not entirely sure the Sale of Goods Act has anything to do with ‘le Vice Anglais’ or, indeed, the point of this thread… but ‘nemo dat quod non habet’… and, I certainly ain’t got much more to give tonight.
Anyway… to return to the actual thread - FREE WIFI… one of the good things about
people logging into one’s WiFi network (which some may say is theft…if not in law - morally) is that it is then very easy to have a very good look around their computers
and, perhaps, change their hard drive… perhaps even send a few emails off to The Telegraph from their email programme… or even shut their computer down remotely - the software is there - unlesss they have very secure protection - and few Pcs do.
Now… how sure are you that I am talking sense or urban myth here. I have a Mac - amazingly clever computers…
you had no problems leaching in Lithuania…
um, I seem to remember paying to use it
Charon: how do we know this is you and not someone simply using your network
Actullay I think you are distinguished by your style. Maybe Geeklawyer should copywrite it for you.
Charon: I too have Mac - wonderful machines indeed. And the tricks you describe can be played but beware the Computer Misuse Act.
As for the abstraction of electricity I think I recall that it has to be done with intent to avoid payment. We doof course have a super-elite criminal lawyer in the form of Ruthie to provide advice and she may but in. However, in the case of WiFI I can’t think this would apply, except with some tortuous (& tortious) logic and sophistry. As I recall the act was introduced precisely because the theft act rather embarassingly fell over when it was thrown at this actus reus: a bit like Geeklawyer when he has been ravishing the port at a Lincoln’s Inn Domus night.
I think of little but the Computer Misuse Act, Geeklawyer. I do not think it covers the sort of nonsense I write - but I do not think booting someone off one’s network is a crime?