First published: 31st August 2008
An American expatriate living in Mumbai, India was detained and questioned by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad after e-mails sent to the media warning of terror attacks in Ahmedabad, which occurred five minutes later, were traced to his open Wi-Fi access point. His three computers, and those of several neighbours were seized by Police. Kenneth Haywood, the American involved, has been instructed not to leave the country.
Becoming a terrorist suspect is, fortunately, a low frequency risk of running an open Wi-Fi access point. The Indian Press is discussing the need to "uniquely identify" every user. This should raise concerns about free speech and privacy. Also, there is the intractable problem of proving a link between the actions of a computer and a particular user who might not have been physically present.