City to pull plug on sidewalk internet after porn complaints

[brooklynite]

Source: Crain's New York Business

The web-browsing feature of New York City's sidewalk Wi-Fi kiosks will be disabled after critics complained that homeless people were monopolizing them and using them to watch porn, officials said Wednesday.

...snip...

Natalie Grybauskas, a spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said, "There were concerns about loitering and extended use of LinkNYC kiosks, so the mayor is addressing these quality-of-life complaints head on."

The kiosks will still provide free domestic calls, phone charging and fast Wi-Fi with the user's own device.

Homeless people and panhandlers have been among the most avid users of the kiosks since LinkNYC began installing them eight months ago, charging their phones if they have them and watching music videos on the tablets.



Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160915/TECHNOLOGY/160919931/city-to-pull-plug-on-sidewalk-internet-after-porn-complaints#utm_medium=email&utm_source=cnyb-dailyalert&utm_campaign=cnyb-dailyalert-20160915

[TygrBright]

1. More of why we can't have nice things... n/t

[ToxMarz]

2. Using the internet to watch Porn?

Where do they come up with these ideas?

[philosslayer]

3. I'm not sure what the big deal is

Can't these folks get a little enjoyment in life? Didn't know NYC was so filled with prudes.

[branford]

12. One of the big issues is that individual transients use the terminals for hours at a time

and prevent other people such as tourists and visitors form accessing them.

I have a few of the kiosks near my apartment, and every day I see the exact same people using it to the exclusion of all others. They even go as far a bringing a crate or chair to sit on and get comfortable, and totally ignore other people, including other homeless, who also want to use the kiosks.

Simply, the kiosks are intended for enjoyment and practical use by large numbers of people, and that's not what's happening.

Also, the kiosks are in residential neighborhoods with many young children. Openly visible and public porn is most definitely not appreciated by residents, no less the accompanying sexual displays or masturbation by certain kiosk users that have been widely reported.

Simply, it's not a matter of New Yorkers being prudes, but of a small minority of users acting very badly by hogging the machines and not respecting residents (if not actually engaging in illegal activity).

I would also note that internet access is widely available in NYC at the many library annexes (without porn filters), although time is apportioned and nudity and masturbation will get you quickly ejected from the premises.

[JonLP24]

13. I've been there

Not NYC but homeless and admit that wifi places were pretty much the only place to hang out. You're pretty much trespassing no matter where you go. I didn't look at that stuff, but I have a lot of sympathy for the homeless, there isn't much to do or places to go.

[branford]

16. In NYC, the many library annexes are very friendly to vagrants

who are able to maintain basic levels of decorum. It's a common site to see obliviously homeless people using terminals at the libraries. However, time is apportioned so many people can enjoy the resource, and unsurprisingly, things like public sexual displays are not tolerated.

Sadly, many of the homeless also suffer from psychological issues and are unable or unwilling to even abide by even the permissive rules of the libraries and other community centers. However, virtually everyone would agree this does not mean that people must tolerate openly visible pornography or masturbation all at times in their neighborhood.

The kiosks are not a right, but a service with intended applications for residents and visitors. If they do not serve their purpose, no less anger taxpayers or scare young children, the service will quickly end.

[JonLP24]

18. Im not defending the porn aspect

Though it surprises me people would look at it without covering what they're looking and especially the masturbation, I can buy it happens once in awhile but not at all times.

I was more addressing the first part that homeless using the wifi all day which I don't blame them. Whoever provides the Wifi can do whatever they want but they may look into filtering otherwise I believe they're over blowing the porn angle.

[nightwalker]

4. What's the point without a web browser?

If they are having issues with adult content, perhaps instead use a filtered service.

OpenDNS has such a feature using DNS so do a bunch of other DNS providers.

People should have the right to use the web regardless of the content provided.


OpenDNS Family Shield
https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/?url=familyshield

Norton ConnectSafe
https://dns.norton.com/

[msongs]

17. people "have the right"to use the web only on services they themselve provide. public services come

with necessary restrictions.

[NNadir]

5. I have noticed some people watching porn in university libraries.

It's actually not cool, I think, but I can't think of a way to restrict it without restricting public access to libraries, something I think would be horrible.

I don't consider myself prudish, far from it, but I can't say that I view graphic depictions of sex stripped of love as a worthy utilization of academic resources.

I notice it much less at Princeton University than I do at Rutgers.

Some of the people at Rutgers appear to be homeless, but many of them are not interested in porn so much as improving their situations, but yes, there is porn watching going on in some of the public computers, and it bothers me.

[brooklynite]

6. I'm sure they were only watching it for the articles...

[GOLGO 13]

7. Porn on the internets?

Outrageous!

[MowCowWhoHow III]

8. Could be worse

Italy says masturbation in public is not illegal

If you are the sort of person who likes to masturbate in public, even if it is with the express intention of being seen by members of the public, Italy is the place to be, the country’s supreme court has ruled.

La Corte di Cassazione, which is the highest court in Italy, was asked to rule on the case of 69-year-old Pietro L., who was sentenced to three months in prison and a fine of €3,420 (£2,900) after ‘taking out his penis’ and ‘practising autoeroticism’ in front of presumably horrified students at the University of Catania.

Supreme court judges said that due to a recent government reform, ‘the act is not included in the law as a crime’. They cited a law passed last year in the Italian parliament which decriminalised lurking in places frequented by girls in order to be seen masturbating.

The criminal aspect of masturbating in public places was therefore eliminated.

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/08/italy-says-masturbation-in-public-is-not-illegal-6116758/#ixzz4KMYe7wAN

[TheSarcastinator]

9. Sex and Sexuality Are Only for the Privileged!

The homeless aren't allowed to have sex lives or sex drives: every good citizen understands that ability disappears when one has no privacy. Next thing you know these animals will begin urinating and defecating in public if deprived of facilities.

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. Many of the reports have been referencing people

masturbating at the kiosks. Sorry, but that moves out of the "having a sex life" category

My employer blocks Facebook and Twitter (and presumably porn, I've never tried). Its easy peasy. Just put a filter on the access. There are tons of commercial services that block for adult content.

[branford]

15. Many of the kiosks are residential neighborhoods,

and the taxpayers do not appreciate such activity tacitly supported or encouraged in public areas openly accessible and highly frequented by children children. The few kiosks in my own midtown Manhattan neighborhood are located very near schools. Openly masturbating in public has also long been impermissible, and there is absolutely no public sentiment to change the laws, including among the City's very liberal inhabitants.

Additionally note my earlier post about how a minority of individuals have been using the terminals for hours to the exclusion of all others. The kiosks were intended as a public resource for all residents and visitors, not subsidized "adult" entertainment or an invitation for a peep show to select individuals.

[steve2470]

10. I read the biggest problem was with people masturbating in public to the porn nt

[Ligyron]

11. Didn't Italy have a blond porn star in government somewhere?

[romanic]

19. Shame.

A few pervs ruin it for everybody.

[Nye Bevan]

20. How about requiring a valid credit card to be inserted but then charging only like $0.01 per minute?

That should prevent most vagrants from using the service to publicly masturbate to porn while still allowing respectable folks to use the terminals.