FCC ENFORCEMENT ADVISORY

FCC.gov ^ | 1/17/21 | FCC

[gwjack]

WARNING: AMATEUR AND PERSONAL RADIO SERVICES LICENSEES AND OPERATORS MAY NOT USE RADIO EQUIPMENT TO COMMIT OR FACILITATE CRIMINAL ACTS

The Enforcement Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission issues this Enforcement Advisory to remind licensees in the Amateur Radio Service, as well as licensees and operators in the Personal Radio Services, that the Commission prohibits the use of radios in those services to commit or facilitate criminal acts.

The Bureau has become aware of discussions on social media platforms suggesting that certain radio services regulated by the Commission may be an alternative to social media platforms for groups to communicate and coordinate future activities. The Bureau recognizes that these services can be used for a wide range of permitted purposes, including speech that is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Amateur and Personal Radio Services, however, may not be used to commit or facilitate crimes.

Specifically, the Bureau reminds amateur licensees that they are prohibited from transmitting “communications intended to facilitate a criminal act” or “messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning.”1 Likewise, individuals operating radios in the Personal Radio Services, a category that includes Citizens Band radios, Family Radio Service walkie-talkies, and General Mobile Radio Service, are prohibited from using those radios “in connection with any activity which is against Federal, State or local law.”2 Individuals using radios in the Amateur or Personal Radio Services in this manner may be subject to severe penalties, including significant fines, seizure of the offending equipment, and, in some cases, criminal prosecution.

Media inquiries should be directed to 202-418-0500 or MediaRelations@fcc.gov.

To file a complaint with the FCC, visit https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov or call 1-888-CALL- FCC. To report a crime, contact your local law enforcement office or the FBI.

[IYAS9YAS]

Referes to “licensees” all others can do as the please

Not so. Ham bands are limited to licensed ham operators. Operating on ham bands in any way, without a proper license, unless life or property is in imminent danger is illegal. You can buy your Baofeng and listen all you want. You just can't legally transmit.

[redcatcherb412]

messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning

Does this apply to biden and pelosi when they're on the air talking babble and non understadable gibberish?

[dpetty121263]

Now that is just about the funniest thing I have seen yet! Pirates are all over the Net..

[HKMk23]

Packet Radio
Encrypted

KMFWA

[BiglyCommentary]

Every ham operator should a repeating loop going sending out morse code for *the election was stolen* and *Biden is corrupt^ 24/7. Xmit, delay 5 seconds, xmit,...

[logi_cal869]

You just gave me an idea:

Every FReeper should tell 10 compadres to coordinate to turn off their cell phones/mobile devices at 6am 1/20 for 2 hours. They should each also coordinate with ten others.

I think you get my drift...

[Sonar5]

Great idea...

[manvacamp2000]

Yes I am..

I assumed from discussions on my local forum where they were talking about repeater logs that recording was a common feature. I have since learned that is not true.. Bummer, since the disk space needed to do that is so damn cheap.

I would be shocked of its not an available feature of software used to run repeaters.. Obviously I don’t have any first hand knowledge of how to set up a repeater.. Something I would like to remedy.

[gwjack]

Hi WC - Stay safe, my FRiend.

You can observe real time outages at this lik. Expand the US to see the Northeast.

https://livemap.pingdom.com/

[Bell Bouy II]

that is funny......point missed, do crooks abid by gun laws.?

keep moving trans all you want

[BiglyCommentary]

Like those old Soviet non stop code book keyers.

[angelcindy]

dont update ur phones or you be able to recieve fcc warnings ,,,

[Sonar5]

Does Rosetta Stone Teach the Navajo Language, might need to brush up, lol...

[Jamestown1630]

She will need something more (and more expensive!) than the average Baofeng to reliably signal 40 miles.

(Though one might do it very serendipitously now and then, under the precise right conditions.)

[Dr. Ursus]

AF water filtration is broken.

[vetvetdoug]

Extricate the quadrapet from the vehicle and can estabulate into something nutritious. And when the aurora arises in the heavens I will return and contemplate the ample.

[bobcat62]

Turn off the repeaters & jam .52 direct. 😉

[struggle]

Baofeng has a triband that covers 220 as well. I left one out in the weather (rain, freeze) for a MONTH and the only thing damaged was the mike

[Jamestown1630]

By now, everyone has cracked all of the aboriginal American language possibilities. They won’t be fooled in that same way again :-)

(But nobody has cracked the Voynich...)

[_Jim]

re: “Wrong! 42 years ago I had a “dop scan” device for transmitter hunting. Good enough to pin down which antenna was in use on your car. You don’t think the FCC has gear at least as good as that now? “

NO MONEY for enforcement, and their mobile equipment nowadays works *lousy* on low band (below 50 MHz). They are using ‘patch’ antennas conformal to the top of their (used to be) Ford Explorers ...

O’Rielly Seeks Funding to Implement PIRATE Act
Commissioner wants Senate to factor new enforcement tools into FCC budget
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/orielly-seeks-funding-to-implement-pirate-act

“One FCC commissioner is personally asking for the Senate to be mindful of one particular part of the newly requested Federal Communications Commission budget — and it involves the money the commission needs as it attempts to tackle pirate radio activity in new ways.”