Posted on 09/27/2016 7:25:33 PM PDT by dayglored
The host of the first presidential debate on Monday night, Hofstra University in New York, may have broken the law and could be in line for a huge fine.
Reporters at the event were appalled to find that among the heavily marked-up items they were offered – $150 to rent a lamp, anyone? – was a $200 charge for a "secure wireless internet connection."
Worse than the clear effort to price-gouge people trying to file stories, however, was the fact that the university decided that only its wireless access points were allowed to be used, and even sent someone around with a Wi-Fi signal detector apparently threatening to throw out anyone who was using an "unauthorized" access point.
That action – effectively shutting down people's ability to use their own internet connection in order to force them to use a paid-for service – was ruled illegal in 2014 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in a landmark ruling against Marriott Hotels.
In that case, Marriott was actively blocking guests' hotspots to force them onto its paid-for network and argued that since it was its property it could do pretty much what it liked. It and the Hilton also argued that guest access points were interfering with their network and were serving as a security risk.
In Marriott's case, it set up equipment that spammed out Wi-Fi deauthentication packets over the air to knock laptops and other devices off guests' personal hotspots, thus forcing them to use the venues' rather expensive paid-for networks.
The FCC was unimpressed: the watchdog fined Marriott $600,000. It then backed up that fine with a formal advisory, and embarked on some aggressive enforcement of the rules – fining Smart City $750,000 last year for blocking personal Wi-Fi hotspots – to make sure everyone got the message.
Under the rules, "no hotel, convention center, or other commercial establishment or the network operator providing services at such establishments may intentionally block or disrupt personal Wi-Fi hot spots on such premises, including as part of an effort to force consumers to purchase access to the property owner's Wi-Fi network."
It adds: "Such action is illegal and violations could lead to the assessment of substantial monetary penalties."
FCC weighs in
So did Hofstra University break the law and is it in line for a huge fine? Very possibly. We asked the FCC about the situation and a spokeswoman told us: "We are aware of reports of alleged Wi-Fi hotspot blocking at last night's debate. However, as a policy, we do not confirm or comment on potential or pending enforcement investigations."
The university may have two ways to escape a huge fine: it didn't electronically block people's access points – it just threatened to throw people out who used them – and it reached an agreement ahead of time that people wouldn't use their own access points.
An FCC official told us: "Preliminary reports suggest that Hofstra was acting on an agreement with media guests to not use personal Wi-Fi hotspots while on the university's premises. This is different from active Wi-Fi blocking, or deauthentication, which the FCC's Enforcement Bureau found to be occurring in prior enforcement actions."
This apparent distinction between what is legal and illegal will be extremely closely watched by hotel chains.
If Marriott, for example, is not breaking the law if it equips its staff with a device like the one Hofstra University used to track down "rogue" access points and then ask the people with them to leave the premises, you can bet that every security guard will have one in a matter of weeks.
Likewise, if all it takes is for someone to sign an agreement not to use wireless access points for it to become legal for hotels to force people onto their paid service, hotels will almost certainly write such a clause in contracts that any company wishing to use their conference facilities will have to sign.
In other words, Hofstra's effort to bilk a few media organizations for a few thousand dollars for one night might result in everyone who attends a conference in the United States from now on having to pay $20 a day for internet access or be asked by a gruff security guard to leave the premises.
Oh – and those $200 Wi-Fi hotspots? Yeah, they went down, crushed by the network load.
Or "interest". ya never can tell...
This is that silly ass regulations that Trump was speaking about
Hofstra must be run by capitalist hating liberals.
This is typical trade show ripoff nonsense. I set up a booth at 2 trade shows per year. If you want to scratch your butt there’s a teamster, and electrician, a union boss, and an accountant all there to make sure you have to pay $500 for the pleasure. $100 to rent a folding chair? yep. That’s a trade show.
Hopefully Hofstra is seriously fined. Let people use their own internet access. Even if the media was victim, this was outrageous.
Wow! Holt and the clintons weren’t the only crooks involved in the debate, that’s for sure.
My position exactly.
If Hofstra's security people detect actual illegal behavior, they're welcome to go after that hammer and tongs. But not just some individual or reporter trying to log a story.
Anyway, the contract couldn't be enforced against either of them because every contract has a sanity clause.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GkVHhYnV90
I know Hofstra has two wifi networks - one for students/faculty and one for guests. Playing devil’s advocate, the only thing I can think of is that there was costs involved in setting up another to handle the bandwidth and security?
I can’t justify the not allowing one to use their own network.
And as for Hofstra Security - well yeah don’t count on them. Fortunately, I assume REAL law enforcement would be working the event. True story - about a dozen years ago I was working in the office of Hofstra’s president as a student aide. One day, they were installing new security systems, and tested them out. By the time security actually showed up, the president said he’d be dead if it was a real emergency. Then he turned to me and said “but that’s why we have strapping young student aides working here to protect us.” I demanded a raise, lol.
Great story!
I suspect you're right, that Hofstra would have paid big bucks to set up a third wifi network just for the event. And naturally they wouldn't want people to not use it. But...
Given that the network fell over from the load they forced onto it, they obviously under-specified it. Well, that's a damn shame, that's just another reason to let people use their own networks and reduce the loading on their temporary one. Fools.
Seems like “their house, their rules” ought to apply.
I would normally prefer that, except Hofstra blew it on two important factors:
yup.. I did a trade show with a friend.. it was his booth.. he had to pay union thugs to unload his truck and bring it to his area.. then EVERYTHING cost money.. you want a chair? I don’t think it was 100 bucks but you had to rent it. you where NOT allowed to bring your own. His cell phone would not work (he had square for credit cards) but of course their wifi did.. I managed to get 1 bar in the corner of his booth on mine and that is where we ran cards. We found out later they where jamming cells to get people to move through faster and to sell their 20 dollar an hour wifi..
He said it’s like that at many venues.. I said don’t ask me to help again.
this was several years ago before the hotel case worked its way though the system.
Not really.. if they are using quality APs and not the home grade stuff many will support well over 3 SSIDs it’s all code/settings.. Knowing that the hall might see higher than normal traffic they can adjust the bandwidth shaping to allow for it. Their network engineer could make the changes needed in less than an hour on newer GUI wireless controllers.
Given the time of day the debate was held I doubt the load was as heavy as during the day when class was in session.
Till you start messing with public air waves.
The operation was a complete success.
They blocked any other access, got paid for it, and then kept anyone from using it. This ensured the real time feeds by major networks had no competition.
You make an EXCELLENT point.
OMG THAT IS A CLASSIC!!
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