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Myths Persist About Running Public Wi-Fi in the UK (arstechnica.co.uk)

If you're running a Wi-Fi hotspot in the U.K., Ars Technica found most of the available legal advice online was either "ill-informed" or "invented", and "the same wrong advice repeated by multiple sources -- including vendors offering to help clients ensure compliance with the 'rules.'" An anonymous Slashdot reader writes: If you run a public Wi-Fi service, can you be held responsible if someone uses it to infringe copyright, defame someone or commit a crime? Ars Technica examines the situation under English law on intermediary liability, as well as looking at data protection law and obligations (or not) to store traffic data for law enforcement.

According to Ars, much publicised "guidance" for would-be Wi-Fi operators indicates that an operator would be liable, but the legal experts who spoke to Ars are far less convinced.

1 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. hmmmm by Pax681 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If you're running a Wi-Fi hotspot in the U.K

    Then it says..

    Ars Technica examines the situation under English law on intermediary liability

    ok so that covers England and Wales.. what about Scotland and N. Ireland who both have seperate and distinct legal systems??? English law != Law that affects other constituent countries of the UK