Cop suggests strapping Wi
A British top policeman has proposed a punishment for teenage hackers: force them to wear Wi-Fi jammers to block them from accessing the internet.
Chief Superintendent Gavin Thomas, president of the Police Superintendents' Association (PSA), suggested that Wi-Fi jammers around the wrists or ankles could be a better sentence for young offenders.
"We have got to stop using 19th century punishments to deal with 21st century crimes," he said in an interview with The Telegraph.
SEE ALSO:Artist finds brilliant way to mess with facial recognition technology"If you have got a 16-year-old who has hacked into your account and stolen your identity, this is a 21st century crime, so we ought to have a 21st century methodology to address it," he added.
However, the original, out-of-the-box solution has some immediate points of concern, as underlined by people online.
First of all, phone jammers are illegal under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. But that can easily be circumvented.
More important is the basic fact that Wi-Fi is not the only way these teenagers can connect to the internet. Just plug an ethernet cable to your computer and you're fine. Or use a 5G connection from your phone:
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
The other issue is that the jammers would likely cause anyone within range to break their connectivity, turning the punishment into a tool for the hacker:
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Darren Martyn, an Irish convicted hacker turned security researcher, told The Guardian: “This would cause huge disruption to anyone within jamming range of the ‘tagged’ person.”
Even Thomas admits there are some "practical and even human rights implications" with the proposal, he said it's something that the Ministry of Justice should consider.
"This could be introduced as part of community sentencing, so that the 16-year-old does not have access to the internet or wifi for a period and then in conjunction they have to do some sort of traditional work in the community.
"Also they could be required to go on an ethics and value programme about how you behave online, which is an area that I think is absent at the moment."
A spokesman for the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales confirmed to Mashablethat Thomas' quotes are accurate.
“Policing needs new ideas and different thinking if it is to tackle 21st century offending effectively," the spokesman said in a statement.
"Policing and the criminal justice system are dealing with crimes that didn’t exist even a few years ago. These are changing faster than policing methods and techniques can realistically keep pace with."
“The service needs to work with the technology industry to help it solve problems with cyber crime and criminality that is carried out or enabled by new or evolving technology," he continued. "The intention with this example is not to champion a particular technology or solution, but to start a debate that stimulates ideas and to have a discussion about what works."
Featured Video For You
This robot can probably fold clothes better than you
TopicsCybersecurity
(责任编辑:关于我们)
-
Discover Secret Swimming Holes and Hidden History in Crystal River, Florida
Often called the Nature Coast because of its abundant wildlife, wooded forests, and mangrove islands ...[详细] -
基因调控全雄罗非鱼苗将实现?丨水产种业振兴中国行走进重庆_南方+_南方plus8月28-31日,“水产种业振兴中国行”走进重庆。广东省农业技术推广中心专职副书记刘胜敏率中心渔业技术推广部一行,来到重庆 ...[详细]
-
2011年雅安车市在跌宕起伏中前行2011年车市收官已经进入倒计时,回望12个月的车市可谓跌宕起伏。从刺激车市的政策退出,到“3·11”日本大地震来袭;从锦湖深陷轮胎“召回门”,再到“汽车三包”悬而未 ...[详细]
-
大鲵 资料图片近日,市区一名少女落水,危在旦夕之时有两名男子挺身而出跳入冰冷的河中,和消防官兵及众人一起救起了少女。事后,其中一男子没有留下只言片语便悄悄离开了现场。几经打探,记者终于找到这位好心人, ...[详细]
-
Best Labor Day headphones deals: Apple, Bose, Beats, and more on sale
These are the best headphones deals ahead of Labor Day:Best Labor Day Headphone DealsBest Headphones ...[详细] -
火热报名!“建行杯”广东省第三届农村创业大赛大赛等你来战_南方+_南方plus随着广东省农村创业环境持续改善,一大批甘于奉献、勇于创新的返乡入乡在乡人员扎根乡村,干事创业、兴办实业,涌现了一批特色鲜明 ...[详细]
-
从四川西部重镇雅安出发,一路经荥经、汉源至康定,一路经天全至康定。然后经昌都到拉萨,再辐射邻国不丹、尼泊尔、印度,有一条历史最悠久、路况最艰险的茶马古道——这条茶马古道称之为“川藏茶马古道”。这条充满 ...[详细]
-
喀什地区“粤菜师傅”培训班正式开班_南方+_南方plus为落实广东省·新疆维吾尔自治区及新疆生产建设兵团对口援疆工作座谈会精神,推动“粤菜师傅”进新疆工程实施,发挥好广东在民生援疆、智力援疆、技能援疆 ...[详细]
-
With more ballot initiatives ready to go before voters, supporters of reproductive rights are hoping ...[详细]
-
2011年雅安车市在跌宕起伏中前行2011年车市收官已经进入倒计时,回望12个月的车市可谓跌宕起伏。从刺激车市的政策退出,到“3·11”日本大地震来袭;从锦湖深陷轮胎“召回门”,再到“汽车三包”悬而未 ...[详细]