A father from France faces imprisonment and a fine after using a jamming device to prevent his children from using the internet.
The incident took place in the French city of Messanges, and at first, everything seemed like a mystery. Every day of the week, from midnight to three in the morning, the locals noticed that their mobile and internet service was not working.
The mobile operator reported the problem to the National Frequency Agency (ANFR), after which it was discovered that someone was interfering with the signal with the help of a device that emits radio waves that are on the same frequency as mobile devices, which prevents them from connecting to the Internet. An ANFR report states that the technician followed the interference signal and came to a house in a neighboring town, where the homeowner admitted to buying the device online and thus restricting his children’s use of the internet.
Namely, his children became addicted to the Internet, social networks, and other applications, which intensified during the quarantine due to the pandemic. A caring father just wanted to stop his children from using cell phones for too long, and in doing so, he mistakenly punished the entire city.
Despite the fact that his father’s intention was not to disable the use of the Internet throughout the city, the use of interference devices in France is illegal and carries a fine of up to 30,000 euros and 6 months in prison, reports Bleeping Computer.
The ANFR reported the use of the jammer to the authorities, and the device was confiscated.