It is human nature to abuse whatever is given to us for free. This also happens with the free Internet that is provided to New Yorkers via Wi‑Fi tents.
The Wi‑Fi kiosks of New York started as a good idea when they were introduced in February 2016. Mayor Bill de Blasio introduced the free Internet service as a tool to bridge the digital divide among New Yorkers. They aim to provide vital power and internet for visitors and residents. Phone charging, weather reports, maps and assistance to users to get around are especially useful in the metropolis. The three, namely charging, weather and maps, are the proper use of the kiosks, but the fourth is a major concern.
It seems New Yorkers want to use the free Internet to surf porn sites!
In fact, the kiosks were so popular for porn surfing among New Yorkers that the LinkNYC network, the service provider, has disabled internet browsing on the embedded tablets.
The internet kiosks are a common feature on the map of New York City. The free Wi‑Fi spots that extend within a 150‑foot radius, free indoor calls, two USB charging ports, a 911 button and a tablet for internet access have been designed to replace the old telephone booths. However, the Mayor and his council members, to their horror, discovered that the tablets are being used more for surfing porn sites than for bridging the digital divide. Corey Johnson, a council member responsible for Greenwich Village, Chelsea and part of Midtown, said he had seen people watching porn on them, while children were around. “These kiosks are often monopolized by individuals who create personal spaces for themselves and engage in activities that include loud music, drug and alcohol consumption, as well as the display of pornography»,” he said in a letter to LinkNYC.
Taking seriously the growing problem with porn in New York, LinkNYC has now disabled web surfing on tablets provided at kiosks. LinkNYC said in a statement: “The kiosks were never intended for personal use,” noting that web browsing will be removed from kiosk tablets until “possible solutions for their proper use , such as time limits, are found.” Free phone calls, maps, device charging, 311 and 911 calls, and Wi-Fi will remain unchanged. It remains to be seen whether New Yorkers will now bring their laptops and their own tablets and use the free Wi-Fi to surf porn, making the kiosks’ original goal a complete failure.
