Is universal WiFi just another word for 24/7 monitoring of civilians?

[Atman]

Hey, I like the idea of "free" WiFi access everywhere I go. But we can already be tracked everywhere via cell phone. Now we're going to be able to be pinpointed everywhere. It just sounds like too much Big Brothery stuff to me.

But then...I'm a child of the 70s. We used to think privacy was actually sacred.

[YDogg]

1. Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose ...

:smoke:

[LizMoonstar]

2. being a child of the 80s, I think the benefits will outweigh the fears.

and that's a lot coming from paranoid me (I told my shrink I thought Ann Coulter was coming to kill me, and meant it, but also realised that I could snap her in half, so they said I wasn't schizo :) )

I think that the more people have cell phones and internet anywhere, the more the traffic will be too much to even bother tracking everyone. and the more cells and free internet, the more people communicate and learn.

for me, i think free wifi is brilliant, and if the gov't uses it to mess with people, the people will freak out and revolt. i'm usually the one thinking that people are stupid and will just let these assholes do whatever they want, but when they start messing with the ability of Joe Sixpack to download the latest Paris Hilton sex tape, the masses will be unleashed. i think messing with the internet could actually get through to people, because of how pervasive it is in our life (and I think that's a good thing, but I would, having gone through high school and college with it.)

[AndyTiedye]

3. Pay Wi-Fi is Much More Trackable than the Free Ones

because you have to give them a credit card, and we all know how trackable those are.

Free wi-fi would only be trackable to the extent that you do something that identifies you,
and even then you can circumvent tracking with encryption.

You probably use credit cards to pay for practically everything. Most of us do.
THAT is how they track us.

[lindisfarne]

4. I agree, except can't your computer hardware uniquely identify you?

Even if it can, it would be more difficult than with pay wireless (someone could use a computer with free wireless and if they were careful to never send any personal identifying info from that computer (and not keep such info on the computer) they could prevent identification of who they are.

Of course, Dept. of Homeland Security is going to scream.

(I find the Patriot Act's monitoring of libraries ironic: what terrorist is going to check out a book? They could photocopy it, or in most libraries, stealing the book would not be all that difficult. The same applies to computer usage: any terrorist who wants to use the internet to get information is going to easily find a way to circumvent all the "controls" - simply go to a public library - most don't require personal information to use the internet.)

[AndyTiedye]

5. All the Net Sees of Your Hardware is a Mac Address -- You Can Change That

Anything more they have to break into your computer to get.
You need to take appropriate measures to prevent that.
You need to that anyway because there are criminals out there who would love to get your credit card numbers.