Germans set to make schnitzel out of controversial Wi-Fi law Germany could soon roll back a law that holds Wi-Fi network owners liable for crimes that individual users commit online. Der Spiegel reports that, after months of negotiations, lawmakers in Germany have agreed to roll back rules that would hold the owner of a Wi-Fi network liable for crimes that occur on it, including …
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strikes again.
I certainly understand and agree with the need to reduce piracy and general freetardiness. However, the unintended consequence hurts the "innocent" as much or more than the "guilty." At least some in the EU hierarchy appear to be able to work out a compromise position.
We could use some of that "rational thinking" stuff on this side of the old pond. (looks at likely November ballot) Oh, sorry. Never mind.
Dunno about "Unintended Consequences", this is something else.
If you create an environment where anyone, whoever that may be, is blamed for the sake of blaming anyone, you're going to see a change in behaviour where everyone is going to cover their arse - at any cost.
Seen this happen in a corporate environment where everyone was looking over their shoulders and not actually doing any work.
Makes about as much sense as holding the owner of a motel criminally responsible because a room renter decides to brew up a batch of crack cocaine in the bathroom.
Therefore, before anyone is allowed to rent lodgings for overnight stay, they must undergo a criminal background check and post a surety bond.
Do you honestly think that in some hotels/rooming establishments this does not already happen?
some chains do Credit Checks when the renter is staying more than a few days.
The 'Bond' is satisfied by a Credit Card for 'Ancilliaries'. WTF? No phone or mini bar.
Is it any wonder that I always try to use a pre-paid card with less than £100 credit on it for this.
Two years ago, I got stung by a Hotel in Shanghai (you could say that I was Shanghai'd) for a whole raft of charges relating to supposed damage in the room I stayed in. more that £500 in total. Took me weeks to resolve largely to the photos I take of every hotel room I use just before I leave. I make sure the TV is on showing a news or weather channel. This proves the date/time I took the pictures.
Makes about as much sense as holding the owner of a motel criminally responsible because a room renter decides to brew up a batch of crack cocaine in the bathroom.
It's not. It's more like having no lock on a chemical laboratory or the gun cupboard…
I have a certain understanding for the principles behind the law but it's being dropped largely for being unworkable.
This happened in UK drugs panic of late 1960S. Drug offences in premises were responsibility of named owner (e.g. tenant) even if absent.
Absolute offences are bound to lead to injustice, although in this case I don't think they were any prosecutions as it was such obvious nonsense.
The law states that if you have an open (i.e. not passcode protected) Wi-Fi spot and you do not log who used it and when, then you are responsible for any crimes committed. If you can say at the time of the offence who was accessing your network, then you are not responsible.
For commercial premises there are solutions, where users are logged as they attach to the network and a log of their activities is recorded, this means that the network provider is off the hook.
A change in the rules could help bring about more Wi-Fi availability in cafes and other public places in Germany.
GIven that there is currently pretty much zero open internet available in Germany, it is difficult to talk about "more" availability.
On the other hand, this has nicely boosted the profits of commercial providers, mainly Telekom, as visitors currently have to pay through their nose for connectivity. In my experience most hotels gave up offering their own hotspots and made contracts with Telekom, that happily installs their "pay through the nose" hotspots.
The lobby is strong in this one...
GIven that there is currently pretty much zero open internet available
That is utter nonsense. Nearly all German hotels have had free wifi for years – largely because mobile data charges are so low that it is impossible to charge for basic access. Most airports have some kind of free wifi and there are lots of public wifi spots in cities (Cologne) or provided by networks (Unitymedia).
@Charlie Clark,
perhaps the hotels my company contracted are not exactly on the same level as the ones you visited. The last hotels I went to, all had either Telekom hotspots or some other pay for scheme. Those were all midrange hotels specialized on business customers, though.
Anyway, as there are virtuall no public hotspots, my point still stands.
There are loads of public hotspots: in cities, in cafés, airports, piggy-backing on DSL/Cable connections. Soon to be available on trains.
I generally avoid hotel wifi as they are often poorly setup and suffer from the "tragedy of the commons" because some fool will be streaming video and the hotel only has a 16 MB connection. In such situations it can make sense to pay for the connection if you need a reliable one. But PAYG data is around € 5 for a GB so that's usually the best choice.
..to make people who own public buildings responsible for what is said and done in them, to make civic organisations that own public s[pace responsible in te case of someone firing bullets through their airspace, and make Christian churches responsible for rapes carried out by other religions that they haven't taught you about...
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