A man has been arrested after being spotted allegedly sitting in a street with a laptop using someone else's unsecured wireless connection. Is it immoral to do this?


So here's the thing.


You're walking down the street in Hypotheticalville and in front of you is a gentleman who, when he walks, spills seemingly endless torrents of golden coins on to the pavement behind him.

He seems unconcerned by this and you notice that if not picked up, these magic coins quickly evaporate. Is it moral for you to pick a few up?
It's the kind of tree-falls-in-the-forest whimsy that an undergraduate philosopher might mull over for a moment, but back in the real world a not entirely dissimilar debate is being played out.

The man arrested in a street in west London is at least the third person to be accused of breaching the law by taking internet service without permission.
The Communications Act 2003 says a "person who (a) dishonestly obtains an electronic communications service, and (b) does so with intent to avoid payment of a charge applicable to the provision of that service, is guilty of an offence".

Read more here at:

Stealing signal?

Is it morally wrong to take someone else's wireless internet?

Ok, first of all it's the person's fault for not securing their internet...this can be easily done. But then again call me a hypocrite cause half the time Im not using my own internet. I don't mean to "steal" other people's internet...I just don't get my signal half the time (which is stupid considering the signal comes from RIGHT DOWNSTAIRS!!)

If you don't care about people using your internet FINE leave it be...but if youre so nit picky and stingy secure your damn internet!

The only thing is that not everyone in this world is good...and the people "stealing" other people's internet might not be using it for the best reasons...

Originally Posted by philam15

Ok, first of all it's the person's fault for not securing their internet...this can be easily done. But then again call me a hypocrite cause half the time Im not using my own internet. I don't mean to "steal" other people's internet...I just don't get my signal half the time (which is stupid considering the signal comes from RIGHT DOWNSTAIRS!!)

If you don't care about people using your internet FINE leave it be...but if youre so nit picky and stingy secure your damn internet!

The only thing is that not everyone in this world is good...and the people "stealing" other people's internet might not be using it for the best reasons...

My connection is not secure either. So is my neighbors'... LoL

I'd be happy to sue the whole building

We are quite lucky as in the major cities in Norway there are many wireless hotspots that gives you free internet access; and access to a wireless network at a hotel or airport is included in the business mobile subscriptions from the major operators - so you cannot go wrong really.

If someone wants to "borrow" my wireless network, well be my guest but the network is monitored closely with such as e-mail alert and distributed SMS message to my phone in case of unauthorized access, and with remote access to my routers it is easy to shut the whole thing down within a few seconds.

There is a similar case in the USA right now about this issue. A teenager was arrested for being parked out in front of a library and stealing it's internet. The library used a wireless system but for those that were members of the library and also if they payed the small fee to use the internet.

Do I find it immoral... Yes.

I am against theft.... but I do not consider this to be on the top of my list of crimes that must come to an end. It's the same with folks stealing Cable and Satellite for their TV. They are stealing a service. It is a crime.... I'm against it, I don't do it,but I also don't think about it. I have larger issues to deal with.

There is a victim, the person that pays for said service. While someone else is using that service without the payer's permission.

And for those that will say that it's different from stealing Cable or Satellite. You're wrong. You are using and stealing a signal in which you did not pay for. Yeah, you bought the dish, the box, and the TV. But guess what, you're not paying for the service. Same with the internet. You bought the PC, the wireless system, and the little device that tells you were a signal is. But you're not paying for the signal.

It's wrong but it's never going to be a major crime. The main reason is because police have much larger issues to deal with and that there are so many people with unsecured wireless systems that you can walk twenty feet in any direction in the USA and pick up a signal. Also some folks do it out of their own heart. Yeah, some private citizens set up free hot spots.

In the end, if I had a wireless system in my house and my neighbor was sucking band width and I learned about it. I would be pissed and go over and inform him to stop and if not I will press legal action so I can recover my money that has been spent to give him the internet.

You can prevent it by adding a password to get into the network. It's not that hard.
I'd say theft is bad but it's your responsibility to lock the door.

Originally Posted by 5.56X45mm

There is a similar case in the USA right now about this issue. A teenager was arrested for being parked out in front of a library and stealing it's internet. The library used a wireless system but for those that were members of the library and also if they payed the small fee to use the internet.

Do I find it immoral... Yes.

I am against theft.... but I do not consider this to be on the top of my list of crimes that must come to an end. It's the same with folks stealing Cable and Satellite for their TV. They are stealing a service. It is a crime.... I'm against it, I don't do it,but I also don't think about it. I have larger issues to deal with.

There is a victim, the person that pays for said service. While someone else is using that service without the payer's permission.

And for those that will say that it's different from stealing Cable or Satellite. You're wrong. You are using and stealing a signal in which you did not pay for. Yeah, you bought the dish, the box, and the TV. But guess what, you're not paying for the service. Same with the internet. You bought the PC, the wireless system, and the little device that tells you were a signal is. But you're not paying for the signal.

It's wrong but it's never going to be a major crime. The main reason is because police have much larger issues to deal with and that there are so many people with unsecured wireless systems that you can walk twenty feet in any direction in the USA and pick up a signal. Also some folks do it out of their own heart. Yeah, some private citizens set up free hot spots.

In the end, if I had a wireless system in my house and my neighbor was sucking band width and I learned about it. I would be pissed and go over and inform him to stop and if not I will press legal action so I can recover my money that has been spent to give him the internet.

I hooked one the other day on theft of services warrant (cable). Got some weed and meth and stolen 12 guage in the bargin. Nice day

Eh, I don't really care either way. If you care about it so much then lock it, if not, who cares if someone uses it? Wouldn't bother me. Ours isn't secure.

Is stealing (insert anything here) wrong?

Now, do you really need someone to answer this or did your parents do their job?

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Is stealing (insert anything here) wrong?

Now, do you really need someone to answer this or did your parents do their job?

Stealing my wifes heart wasn't wrong............................................. ...


Okay smack me now!