Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Police Investigate Offensive Wi-Fi Network Name

Posted by Soulskill on from the sounds-like-a-rough-neighborhood dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Police in Teaneck, New Jersey, with apparently too much time on their hands, are investigating an offensive wireless network name. Although the police didn't reveal the name, the New York Daily News reports that it was anti-Semitic and racist in nature. The incident is being investigated as a possible 'bias crime.' It's definitely not what proper people do, but a 'bias crime?'"

2 of 890 comments (clear)

  1. Article contains a pretty big clue. by Radak · · Score: 5, Interesting

    FTFA: 'Police received similar complaints about the signal Friday during a "teen night" event at the center, the woman said she was told.'

    So, rec-center-owned wifi access point is found on teen night to have an offensive SSID. The likely scenario is that, with a bunch of teens there, many of whom are carrying wifi-enabled devices, one kid noticed that the AP was not password-protected (or possibly had an obvious default password) and decided to log into it and, well, be a dumb kid by changing the SSID to something that made his friends laugh.

    Password protect the AP. Lesson learned. Everybody move on.

  2. The only way I can see this being a "crime"... by sugapablo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...is if there was a target. Like if the WiFi signal was near a Jewish family's home, and let's say the family was named "Cohen". If the WiFi signal overlapped their home and was broadcasting an idea with a threat such as "CohensRKikes" or "DieJewScum" or similar, I can see a crime being involved. But just something like "JewsSuck" or whatever? I'm Jewish. Everyone hates us. It's just part of life. :)

    --
    Sugapablo