Legalities surrounding wireless internet access in India

[Sushubh]

I had a couple of questions related to wireless networks in India...


[*]Is it illegal for me to operate my wireless router with no password security?
[*]Is it illegal for me to connect to an open wireless network and use it (without the permission of the owner of that connection)? I am talking about personal connections not public networks!
[/list]

 

[mgcarley]

I had a couple of questions related to wireless networks in India...


[*]Is it illegal for me to operate my wireless router with no password security?
[*]Is it illegal for me to connect to an open wireless network and use it (without the permission of the owner of that connection)? I am talking about personal connections not public networks!
[/list]

Technically yes to both questions, though for the first question I'm not sure that it's "illegal" as in "written in to law", but certainly I think "not allowed" since there are mentions of it in various documents issued by the DoT.

 

[Sushubh]

so is there an IPC section (!) for the crime related to second point?

 

[amish]

I think for 1st quetion, its not illegal... but required/recommended for ur own security..because if someone misuses ur network for illegal activities, then u will be the one responsible and you will be one who wud be arrested.u may prove urself innocent but what u wud be going thru cant be explained.

 

[Sushubh]

well. the terminology was that ISPs have to ensure that all their customers have password protected their wireless networks. this is pretty much a requirement! so i would assume that some law has been established to make it a criminal offense. i guess not!

 

[mgcarley]

so is there an IPC section (!) for the crime related to second point?

It probably falls under one of the various acts relating to Telecommunications (I'd have to check precisely which one, but may even be covered in the 1885 Telegraph Act) and whichever act "illegal use of a network" comes under will probably point to the relevent section of the IPC.

I think for 1st quetion, its not illegal... but required/recommended for ur own security..because if someone misuses ur network for illegal activities, then u will be the one responsible and you will be one who wud be arrested.

u may prove urself innocent but what u wud be going thru cant be explained.

But here's the latest WiFi Directive issued by the DoT.

 

---

[Sushubh]

scanned images! how nice. so the basic rule is that ISPs are supposed to have a database of all their subscribers who are using a wireless router in their premises. i do not think airtel has taken this initiative till now

 

[amish]

But here's the latest WiFi Directive issued by the DoT.

That is for ISPs and not for subscriber.. and it does not mean that its criminal offense.

 

[mgcarley]

That is for ISPs and not for subscriber.. and it does not mean that its criminal offense.

That's what I said in my original post.

 

[amish]

Ummm, i think admin asked question for end user... and u answered based on rules for ISPs.. so i was just clarifying that.

---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:58 PM ----------

and u quoted my post and gave that PDF document in response to it... so i thought u meant that its illegal for end user.. which is not.