A new survey proves what we’ve long suspected: Wi-Fi squatting–using someone else’s unsecured wireless Internet connection–is pretty common despite being illegal in some places.
A new survey by the consulting company found that
one in seven Americans and one in 11 people in the U.K. admit to Wi-Fi squatting
Nearly a third of 18 to 34-year olds say they’ve done it
As we
reported last August, Wi-Fi squatting, while perhaps a victimless crime, is still considered a crime in some places.
In the U.S., police have arrested people for Wi-Fi squatting in Michigan, Florida, Illinois and Washington.
The FBI told us it isn’t a federal offense unless you do something illegal while connected to the network.
here’s our tips to safe squatting:
1) Don’t sit in your car outside a coffee shop or a public library with your laptop open.
2) Don’t sit outside someone’s house with your laptop open.
3) Don’t do anything illegal while you’re connected.
clipped from: blogs.wsj.com 