Liability Risks For Businesses That Provide Free Wi-Fi to Customers

What have companies done to increase business?

In an increasingly online world, many companies throughout the country have enticed customers into doing business by offering free internet access.

For example, coffee shops, automotive repair centers, and restaurants have all considered it economically advantageous to offer customers access to the internet as a means of getting them to purchase goods. This setup has benefitted both businesses, who don’t mind paying for the internet if it means an increase in traffic to their stores, and consumers, who now can access the internet for free in a variety of different stores. However, with new changes in regulations affecting the internet, businesses might implement stronger security controls over their internet networks.

Why has providing internet access to customers caused problems for businesses?

On July 6, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) announced their plan to cut down on piracy over the internet. Through an agreement with internet service providers like AT&T and Verizon, suspected internet pirates will be sent a sequence of five messages which encourage the suspects to cease and desist suspicious conduct. If illegal conduct continues, internet service providers have agreed to slow internet speeds, or even remove a person’s access from the internet unless change occurs.

Given the risky nature of downloading illegal content over the internet, internet pirates have incentive to use the free internet access provided to them by numerous companies courting their business. By doing so, pirates can more easily evade punishments internet service providers, the RIAA and the MPAA wish to impose. Businesses however, can suffer fines up to $150,000 if they are found vicarious or contributing to illegal content being downloaded through their internet connections.

What can businesses do to protect themselves?

Since businesses are liable if they find out about illegal downloads taking place through their business and do nothing to stop those downloads, businesses should immediately report suspicious activities conducted over through their internet connections. Other actions such as posting signs, and verbally indicating to customers disapproval for illegal downloading could deter individuals from questionable activities. Businesses can also use password protection technology to deter unwanted individuals from secretly using a company’s internet access without that company’s consent.

Other options such as censoring internet access to sites suspected of illegal piracy could further bolster businesses ability to combat internet piracy on over their own networks. Though none of these protections are perfect, perhaps they can help the RIAA and the MPAA prevent internet piracy while allowing businesses to avoid the serious legal consequences possible if individuals download illegally through their networks.

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Google’s Website Privacy Principles

Why did Google post its website privacy principles online?

In a time where governments, privacy watch groups, and concerned individuals worry about the capability large internet companies have to store information about their users, Google has posted its website privacy principles online.

Specific concerns have existed concerning Google’s policy of not deleting any of the searches made by users on its websites. Though Google has claimed that data storage is done only to enhance Google’s effectiveness, some worry that Google could abuse that data in the future. By posting a list of website privacy principles, Google has shown to governments, potential investors, and individuals that it intends to abide by all privacy laws, and to act in the most transparent way possible to preserve the privacy interests of all of its users.

What do the website privacy principles say?

Google starts out by claiming that it intends to use data it collects on individuals to provide those individuals with the best experience possible. This could include focusing advertisements to individuals according to what their specific interests and desires are. Google further affirms that website privacy should not concern users as it pledges to adhere to its company policy to ‘not be evil’ and use private information in only appropriate ways.

Google has further claimed that it intends to allow users to, as transparently as possible, view how personal information is used by Google. Google feels that if users simply are able to understand the very mild nature in which information is used, they will not worry as much about Google abusing that information. Google claims this, in part, will be done by the development of the appropriate technologies, which allow Google the best information in the least invasive way possible.

What else does the website privacy information suggest?

A major crux of Google’s privacy principles seems to be Google’s offering to make available several different options for users to customize their own privacy controls. Google feels that such controls will allow users to personally determine how much of their information is stored, and how much of their information remains anonymous. Google claims that its privacy preservation technologies will allow users to make ‘meaningful, fine grain choices’ in regard to how much personal information Google will have access to using.

Perhaps this new move by Google in posting its privacy policy is little more than an attempt to please consumers. Perhaps, however, the move to publish privacy settings serves to please users while still maintaining that Google has some right to control the information its users display on its websites. Regardless, this step by Google will certainly make at least some concerned website privacy advocates at least a small amount more comfortable with companies and their ability to monitor and preserve data over the internet.

Filed Under: Internet Lawyer, Privacy Tagged With: concerned website privacy, copyright-infringement, google8217s website privacy principles, Internet privacy, Privacy, privacy policy, privacy principles, website privacy, website privacy information, website privacy principles

Internet Privacy and Facebook Facial Recognition Software

What does facial recognition software do?

A Carnegie Mellon University researcher recently proved the extent to which a person’s facial features alone can access information about that person.

Assembling a database of around 25,000 pictures acquired by Facebook, this researcher was able to identify individuals walking past him on a university campus with an astounding 31 percent accuracy. In other words, simply by looking at an individual’s facial features, this researcher’s computer program was capable of providing that researcher with the identity, relationship status, and physical address within around three seconds. For some, this technology poses an enormous privacy risk, as program users can know essentially all major details about a person simply by taking a picture of that person, and having a computer analyze that picture in a few seconds.

What are the potential benefits of such technology?

Benefits of the technology have immediately been hailed by various groups. Advertisers, for one, feel that this facial recognition technology could someday lead to more effective advertisements being sent to the individuals most inclined to purchase those goods. Perhaps, they argue, facial recognition technology could serve in a way similar to Google’s Adwords and similar technologies, which allow for the communication between two mutually interested parties.

Law enforcement officials also hail the technology as potentially beneficial for determining the identities for suspected criminals. Rather than relying on names, fingerprints, or other identifying markers, if police were able to use facial recognition software, perhaps they could more effectively complete their job. Prosecutors and other state officials could, perhaps, use technology to prevent wrongful convictions in the future.

What are the potential concerns about facial recognition technology?

Critics of the technology worry that facial recognition software would pose serious privacy concerns if precautions were not taken. They argue that such technology could manifest itself as a stalker’s dream come true. Since information could instantly be accessed about individuals seen at a distance by their mere appearance, stalkers and others could learn detailed information about individuals simply from looking at them from afar, and taking their picture.

Those concerned about the technology also have complained that, in the wrong hands, the technology could be exploited to limit anonymity and the freedom that it guarantees completely. For example, the personal information dating website users often choose not to reveal could be discovered if that user simply posts a single picture of himself/herself online. In the future, perhaps, critics have articulated that businesses, governments, and others could easily gain access to very personal information which could then be used against the individuals posting it.

Filed Under: Internet Lawyer, Privacy Tagged With: enormous privacy risk, facebook facial recognition, facebook privacy, facial recognition, facial recognition software, facial recognition technology, internet attorney, Internet privacy, internet privacy and facebook facial recognition software, internet-lawyer