WeFi mapping contest - get prizes for wardriving logs

[thetchetch]

WeFi has announced a WiFi mapping contest (http://www.wefi.com/wicket/contest.html). Contest rules are simple – participants upload their wardriving logs, and whoever uploads the most Access Points by the end of February, wins their choice of a Wii game console , an iPod Touch, or an Amex giftcard.
In case you haven’t heard about WeFi – WeFi is a network of WiFi users, who can map, connect and interact through the WeFi website , and an application that can be installed on any WiFi enabled device. WeFi users can easily map WiFi spots around them, without the necessity of a GPS unit. The WeFi application allows WeFi users to know where their friends are, based on the location of the AP to which they are connected.

[whitedice]

I wouldn't do it. I'm still trying to figure out how they can say any "open" network is a "free" network to connect to. There must be some legal loophole that doesn't hold them responsible. They would probably even assist LEOs in giving up the person who provided the network, and the ones using it without authorization, which results in it being illegal. If LEOs were given a reason to pursue, such as a piracy ring using their software to find "free" networks to share their files. You submitted the information to WeFi, WeFi relayed this information to criminals, does that make you an accomplice by providing the network they used to do illegal activity?

Can you say you have authorization to use every network you find and submit to them? Nope.

There is just something not right about it. There has to be. Otherwise, there would be several companies doing the same thing.

[KH]

I browsed around the wefi website and I can't really find any mention of "is this legal". This could be on purpose (trying to avoid the issue) or by accident (never thought about this).

Some mention on the web of the money invested in this (trying to be the next big "social network" thing) makes me think WeFi has legal counsel available and they are actively avoiding the issue.

As usual with contests organized in the US, you have to live in the US to participate. So I don't even have to consider uploading a few months of wardriving logs.

[Dutch]

Following posted as feedback on their Contact page :

As one of the senior moderators over at Netstumbler.org, I am pretty amazed that WeFi avoids mentioning at all, that associating to and using a wireless accesspoint, without prior authorization, is a felony crime in several US states, not to mention a federal offence as well.

Just because an accesspoint has been setup without any encryption (i.e. "open") due to incompetence on the owner (Bought a box, plugged it in, and it works - no need to configure it), or due to any other circumstance, doesn't imply a permission to utilize the network.

Let me repeat again : It is illegal to utilize a WiFi accesspoint, by associating to it, without prior permission from the owner/operator of the network.

Please reply to the following questions :

Is there any particular reason that WeFi doesn't announce this to their potential users, anywhere on the WeFi website ?

Does WeFi have any particular way of marking accesspoints found by WeFi's users, that truely are free hotspots, or does WeFi consider any non-secured accesspoint reported by WeFi users, to be available for use, by WeFi users through the WeFi software, without needing a prior agreement with the accesspoints owner/operator ?

If WeFi doesn't reply to these questions within a reasonable timeframe to the emailadress submitted with this feedback message, there will be posted announcements on both Netstumbler.org, kismetwireless.net, Wigle.net and other WiFi networksecurity related sites, regarding WeFi's appearent lack of interest in the legal issues on network theft.

Contact will also be made with the proper lawenforcement authorities to investigate on whether WeFi is advocating their users to commit felonies.

B. Regards.

J.D. "Dutch" Schmidt

Dutch

[mcburns]

Say, Dutch, is it really illegal?
I mean, a lot of people are wardriving and uploading hotspot data to wigle just to share it with others, I honestly didn't know I was doing something illegal... and I know almost anyone with a laptop who sees some unencrypted network somewhere simply connects and uses it.

Do you have any reference to the law that me and my friends can look at to understand this?
Is there any website where we can real about such law, or lawsuits against people who connected to an open WiFi network just because they saw it on their laptop connection Manager?

Thanks!

[Dutch]

Say, Dutch, is it really illegal?
I mean, a lot of people are wardriving and uploading hotspot data to wigle just to share it with others, I honestly didn't know I was doing something illegal... and I know almost anyone with a laptop who sees some unencrypted network somewhere simply connects and uses it.

Do you have any reference to the law that me and my friends can look at to understand this?
Is there any website where we can real about such law, or lawsuits against people who connected to an open WiFi network just because they saw it on their laptop connection Manager?

Thanks!

Wardriving is not illegal.

Associating to and utilizing an AP, unsecured or secured, without prior consent from the owner/operator IS illegal, and has nothing whatsoever to do with wardriving.


Check the Netstumbler forums, where there are several threads, as well as FAQ's giving the information you requested.

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/cip/hacklaw.htm

http://www.netstumbler.org/f22/wifi-hac ... jail-8712/

http://www.netstumbler.org/f22/faq-lega ... ging-6430/

http://www.netstumbler.org/f22/fraud-re ... ers-11734/

Dutch

[whitedice]

Following posted as feedback on their Contact page :

As one of the senior moderators over at Netstumbler.org, I am pretty amazed that WeFi avoids mentioning at all, that associating to and using a wireless accesspoint, without prior authorization, is a felony crime in several US states, not to mention a federal offence as well.

Just because an accesspoint has been setup without any encryption (i.e. "open") due to incompetence on the owner (Bought a box, plugged it in, and it works - no need to configure it), or due to any other circumstance, doesn't imply a permission to utilize the network.

Let me repeat again : It is illegal to utilize a WiFi accesspoint, by associating to it, without prior permission from the owner/operator of the network.

Please reply to the following questions :

Is there any particular reason that WeFi doesn't announce this to their potential users, anywhere on the WeFi website ?

Does WeFi have any particular way of marking accesspoints found by WeFi's users, that truely are free hotspots, or does WeFi consider any non-secured accesspoint reported by WeFi users, to be available for use, by WeFi users through the WeFi software, without needing a prior agreement with the accesspoints owner/operator ?

If WeFi doesn't reply to these questions within a reasonable timeframe to the emailadress submitted with this feedback message, there will be posted announcements on both Netstumbler.org, kismetwireless.net, Wigle.net and other WiFi networksecurity related sites, regarding WeFi's appearent lack of interest in the legal issues on network theft.

Contact will also be made with the proper lawenforcement authorities to investigate on whether WeFi is advocating their users to commit felonies.

B. Regards.

J.D. "Dutch" Schmidt

Dutch

Did you happen to get a response?

[GPSnerd]

Is this the map that is now on our Wikipedia entry? If so, it would be a great piece to start a campaign to promote WiGLE and the whole war-driving movement. If we could optimize our content and come up with some better internet marketing solutions I feel like there is a good chance that WiGLE could become pretty popular especially in areas like geocaching, etc. What are the best options? I have some custom dvd burning capabilities that could be used to distribute video so just let me know!