Be careful when you’re hooking up to a wireless connection that is not your own. The state of Maryland is on to your little game.

 

Slashdot.com reports that the General Assembly is considering a bill that would punish people who knowingly surf the Web on someone else’s dime.

 

I thought this was already technically illegal, but this bill would impose a penalty of up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000.

 

The Hagerstown Herald-Mail reported that the bill’s sponsor, Del. LeRoy E. Myers Jr, intended it to clarify accidental versus intentional use.

 

I’ll keep my eye on this, but I wonder how many people are guilty of the practice. I know I tried it in college. But what’s the harm really? Bandwidth is valuable, but couldn’t this be dealt with by blocking access with a password?

 

2 Responses to “Surf the Web on your own dime or else”
 

And this is a problem because?

With a full legislative agenda, they’re spending time on this?

Is there a shortage of crimes in Maryland, so that we have to keep inventing new ones?

(Insert your question here)

Blinky Blinkman wrote on March 21st, 2008 at 6:03 pm

 

What will they think of next? Fines for listening to music coming out of someone else’s car window? Penalties for watching someone’s else’s TV while you’re walking your dog?

MSSR wrote on March 28th, 2008 at 8:50 am

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