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Uncategorized Friday, January 20th 2012 at 11:40 am

Racist, Anti-Semitic Wi-Fi Network Name Sparks Police Investigation

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It’s not surprising that ridiculous and obscenely named Wi-Fi networks exist. In college, I could pick up such delightfully named networks as “assclown” and “boners firing into space.” However, it may surprise you to learn that a Wi-Fi network at the Teaneck, New Jersey Richard Rodda Community Center was so obscene that it set off a police investigation.

According to the New York Daily News, this particular network was named:

“F— All Jews and N—-”

Frankly, I don’t think those blanks need to be filled in.

The network raised complaints, which led the police to trace the location of the network inside the community center. Teaneck police are currently looking into who named the network, and the Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin has promised, ”We’re going to work hard to find out who did it.”

Some might argue that this is an unnecessary response to a Wi-Fi name. However, Wi-Fi networks are public pronouncements that often appear unbidden on people’s phones and computers. In my mind, it’s as if the words were written in enormous letters on a billboard, or shouted by someone standing nearby. In those situations, we’d almost certainly call this harassment. In fact, the woman quoted by the NY Daily News said:

“I was shocked, hurt. I felt harassed.”

Teaneck Police Chief Robert Wilson is quoted as saying that police are looking at situation as a possible bias crime. Unfortunately, considering that an unsecured wireless network can be renamed by any passerby probably means that no one person will carry the blame. I’d imagine it was just that: An enormous jerk who wanted to make trouble and will probably escape detection.

Hopefully, public spaces will keep their wireless networks locked down to prevent this kind of thing, but it would be far better if human beings could manage not to be crappy to each other. Both of these statements are, sadly, wishful thinking.

(via the New York Daily News, image via Ben Bashford is unrelated to the events described above)

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  • Mike

    Minor detail – you need the router’s admin login/password to rename a wireless network.

    Even if the network is not secured, you’ll still need that admin login/password to change settings on the router.

  • Max Eddy

    That’s a good point. I guess I was thinking that if it was unsecured entirely, it would still have the default user name and password. I should make that clearer.

  • Walinzor

    Exactly. If someone doesn’t know how to secure the network, they won’t know how to change the defaults, either. Those are easily accessible on the manufacturer’s website for anyone to find. Just need the make and model number. 
    That said, if this was someone’s private, secured, network for their home residence, this would be appalling. While I don’t condone racism and being antisemitic I do believe we have the right to name our personal networks whatever we like. 

  • http://twitter.com/SerketSiel Serket

    People do need to be a little more thick skinned, though.  If someone puts garbage like that out there for the public to read then the public needs to consider the source.  There’s no point in letting something like that ruin your day.

  • ULTRAGOD

    NEVER be accused of anti-Semitism again! The Zionist Jews fully support and FUND Christian Zionists who think that God is going to come back and kill every Jew except for exactly 144,000 of them. Go to ultragod site to read more. Anti-Semitism is a joke and a control mechanism. Judaism is the most hateful, monopoly religion to ever exist. Why is their separate rules for Jews and separate rules for Gentiles in their religion???

  • Immortalsanchez

    wow… just wow

  • Enthusiast

    Oi vey.  If you’re going to try to make an intellectual argument, at least make it comprehensible. I think you meant “Why ARE THERE separate rules…” and reason is very clear when you understand their history.  

    In the beginning, they were surrounded by polytheistic people. There were folks that would draw the Jews (and did repeatedly) away from the one true God.  They needed to be kept at an arms length and the rules were different.  

    Jesus is the great equalizer.  The rules apply to Jew and Gentile alike.  Christian anti-Semites are ridiculous. Jesus is a Jew AND he taught that ALL people should be loved, even people who hate God’s chosen people.

  • Bashman

    Well the name of my network at the minute is called ‘Police Surveillance Van’ :D

  • Jn

    This is funny. Learn to take a joke people!

  • Anonymous

    For the record, we most certainly would NOT call those things harassment, including the WiFi name. Freedom of speech much? Don’t get me wrong. We’d call it assholish. Douchey. Annoying. Offensive. But harassment has a very specific definition, and this ain’t it, any more than the “God Hates Fags” maroons are. Just because you don’t like what was said, doesn’t mean it morphs into something it isn’t. 

    That said, if it’s the Community Center’s wifi, I would argue it might be considered a crime on par with graffiti; defacement of public property.

  • pete pisula

    Dumb ass.

    Ultragod? Not!

  • Michael Schroeder

    Protected free speech anyone?

  • Onemansopinion4455

    an utterence that fails to incite a riot or cause panic (fire in a crowed theater) is not worthy of police resources or the gutting of the first amendment.  Whoever named that network expressed a political opinion that few agree with, pure and simple.  To overreact is to bring a far greater evil then the utterence itself.

    there is not constitutional right to “not feel offended.”

  • http://www.facebook.com/SeijinDinger Tom Allmendinger

    Since a SSID is technically broadcast under FCC regulated frequencies, do FCC rules for broadcast apply to the said SSID? While we do have freedom of speech, if you were to appear on broadcast (not to be confused with cable) television, and said the prhase which that SSID is named, the FCC would start issuing fines.

  • Anonymous

    Part of the reason for the limitations on broadcast is the fact that each channel is assigned by the FCC; you have to register to be allowed to use channel 3, etc. That’s not the case for small, non-augmented local signal that is in an open band and not registered. Just as I could have my SSID be “FthePolice”, someone else could have a stronger signal on the same Wifi channel that was “FthosethatsayFthePolice”, and I can’t complain even if it interferes with my signal. Very similar to the difference between radio channels (both commercial and public resource) and the open consumer channels that, say, walkie-talkies operate on.