Using of Jamming device at work.

dvin59

Hi guys!
If the employer uses a mobile jamming device in the canteen during breaks is this a legal ? Are there any regulation acts about this?

Lenar3556

dvin59 wrote: »

Hi guys!
If the employer uses a mobile jamming device in the canteen during breaks is this a legal ? Are there any regulation acts about this?

Depending on the nature of the device there may well be regulatory issues with its use. One to discuss with comreg.

From an employment law perspective, it wouldn’t appear very reasonable to install such a device in a canteen either.

dvin59

Lenar3556 wrote: »

Depending on the nature of the device there may well be regulatory issues with its use. One to discuss with comreg.

From an employment law perspective, it wouldn’t appear very reasonable to install such a device in a canteen either.

In fact that jamming device fitted in the toilet room which is beside of canteen so we can't use phones/ internet on breaks. 😡

RandRuns

Use of mobile phone signal jamming equipment is illegal in Ireland under the wireless telegraphy act (and various EU laws) and carries a maximum penalty of €25,400 and/or a term of imprisonment of up to 12 months.

cml387

Completely illegal.
We had to go through hoops jigs and reels to get licensed to just carry out low power testing at mobile frequencies.

seamus

There's not even a "an employer can do this on their own premises to protect their business" get out clause for this. It's straight up not permitted, even in your own home.

The spectrum is heavily regulated precisely to stop people broadcasting noise on various frequencies and distrupting communications.

The Savoy Cinema installed signal jammers years back to stop people using their phones in the cinema, but they very quickly rolled back after ComReg warned them of the massive fines they would levy for it.

C3PO

What sort of an employer would go to those lengths to stop staff using their phones?

o1s1n

C3PO wrote: »

What sort of an employer would go to those lengths to stop staff using their phones?

There are some vendor companies out there who have contracts with multinationals that would only be to happy to do this.

Victor

Importantly, it also jams emergency calls.

Saralace

the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation appears to believe the use of mobile jamming devices is not permissible. Such a view may be justified by the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926. While the Act pre-dates modern mobile phones and new mobile jamming devices, Section 12 of the Act restricts the use of certain apparatus for wireless telegraphy.

The operative section states that it is not lawful "for any person so to work or use any apparatus for wireless telegraphy that electro-magnetic radiation therefrom interferes with the working of or otherwise injuriously affects any apparatus for wireless telegraphy in respect of which a licence has been granted under this Act and is in force"

The language used is arguably archaic and overly legal. In layman's terms it appears to prohibit the use of apparatus for wireless telegraphy which interferes with or "injuriously affects" licensed apparatus for wireless telegraphy. This may include mobile jamming devices. Should such an old statute, however, be interpreted to apply to a new and unenvisaged situation? Does it prohibit mobile jamming devices which interfere with certain localised wireless services which may not be licensed, or which operate outside of a public telecommunications network? It may require a technical examination of the operation of mobile jamming devices to ascertain whether actual "electro-magnetic radiation therefrom" interferes with mobile phones. Do these devices "block" signals or actually "interfere" with the working of mobile phones? It also seems more difficult to establish "injurious affect" as opposed to mere interfere. The significance of this distinction in the Act is unclear.

Saralace

How to Beat Cell Phone Jammers
Use proximity avoidance. Typical cell phone jamming systems are meant to reach distances of approximately 30 feet. ...
Use a quad-band cell phone with multiple frequencies. ...
Use VoIP on your cell phone to make calls over a Wi-Fi network and bypass radio frequencies. ...
Use your device's data plan.

Saralace

I would look for it it's probably in the drop down ceiling then drop it out a window you can also tell your phone provider it could be another worker with it in his pocket try going in when no one is around or first thing in morning or leave last at night

Victor

Saralace wrote: »

The operative section states that it is not lawful "for any person so to work or use any apparatus for wireless telegraphy that electro-magnetic radiation therefrom interferes with the working of or otherwise injuriously affects any apparatus for wireless telegraphy in respect of which a licence has been granted under this Act and is in force"

The language used is arguably archaic and overly legal.

In fairness, it is nearly 100 years old, somethings may come across as archaic..

In fairness, it is a piece of legislation, of course it is going to use legalese.

It seems the Oireachtas, the department, the regulator, the operator an the general public have not found it to be so archaic or so overly legal that it merits changing.

Pkiernan

Op..is the phone signal or the WiFi blocked?

They're obviously trying to reduce the time people are surfing the net in the toilets.

Localised blocking of their own WiFi may well be permitted.

Zascar

So OP what are you going to do? Inform him of the law and tell him to turn it off, or just report him to the authorities and let him face the consequences?

L1011

Zascar wrote: »

So OP what are you going to do? Inform him of the law and tell him to turn it off, or just report him to the authorities and let him face the consequences?

I'd hope its just report

Any employer using a blocker has a severe trust issue. Either they don't trust employees not to slack off, or they don't have trust in their security procedures and hence staff in restricting data loss via mobile device. Guaranteed toxic workplace.

FFVII

My last employer did this, even though we were unpaid for breaks, just scumbags.

Snotty

You should delete that, its a small company and it wouldn't take much to work out who you are

ted1

how do you know they are using one? might there just be lot of metal in the walls or something naturally in the walls that is blocking the data.