Three sins of free WiFi app: Walking in the legal grey area

Tencent Science and Technology Li Jue July 22 reported that when free WiFi coverage is not high, mobile phone traffic can not meet people to surf the network, free WiFi applications will emerge. Especially in the last two years with the large popularity of smartphones has been a popular pursuit of young people. WiFi Universal key, WiFi companion and WiFi free pass are the representatives of this type of application. Their common feature is to support the search for open WiFi hotspots in the vicinity, through the built-in database or netizens to share, to help users free internet access. WiFi companion and WiFi free pass can also receive bonus points by downloading the specified application. Save enough points to redeem the operator's free internet traffic. It is true that the emergence of such applications to the vast number of people affected by the flow of welfare, but also did solve the problem of some people on the internet difficult. However, "unlimited, unlimited access to mobile internet" sounds good, but its ills can not be ignored. User experience: Not so good. While these apps claim to have tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of of hot data, it is far from enough to look nationally. As a result, many users can not find free WiFi, so as to evaluate the application of the "garbage" situation. The fact is that such applications can only meet the needs of a subset of users in a particular location, and it is impossible to please everyone. And even if some display can access, but due to password expiration or other network reasons, can not connect the network, the user experience greatly compromised. According to industry sources, this kind of free WiFi software, is the use of users upload or software developers to master the WiFi password to establish a database, when users use a WiFi hotspot in the database to enter the password. If the WiFi provider's password is updated, it cannot be connected. In order to be free to access the network, users have to endure the mobile phone screen advertising banner, but also to download the installation may not need their own applications to obtain points. These are likely to destroy the user's patience and lose interest in such applications. Mode of operation: Free price Whether it is to provide WiFi hotspot password, or free to use the WLAN hotspot of telecom operators, all need a certain business model to support. WiFi partners, for example, provide a key access to China Mobile (microblogging) CMCC network services. Its essence is to China Mobile large-scale procurement of online long card, and then through the technology of dynamic distribution of online long to the user process. A WiFi partner is equivalent to a middleman, but he doesn't ask for a fee, but rather an ad. At present, WiFi partners through the integration Wall (CPA) ads to reward users "skew point", users download the application to provide the user to obtain the corresponding "tilt point", and "crooked point" can be used to spend, in exchange for free internet hours. Industry insiders said that this mode of operation there is a certain risk, once the operator to stop this cooperation, then the application will go to the end of the road; On the other hand, the advertising costs of advertisers, can support the application to buy a sufficient number of Internet accounts, it is difficult to predict. More importantly, although such applications were initially exempt fromFee, but whether it will be built for the benefit of third-party suction software, and even steal user privacy, it is difficult to determine. Legal risk: Walk in the grey area although free WiFi applications claim to be not cracked, there is a legal risk. The WiFi master key, for example, advocates "sharing known public Wi-Fi passwords" to circumvent legal risks. But if the user's own password is disclosed or cracked, and uploaded to the network, then not only their own network is the danger of being rubbed against others, or even the disclosure of privacy. Insiders pointed out that if the use of informal means to rub the net, resulting in the consumption of other people's network charges, constitutes theft. According to the regulations of the People's Republic of China on Radio regulation, it is unlawful and illegal to crack and use other people's passwords without permission. This type of application due to many integration restrictions, online more cracked version of the download. But the security of cracked version applications is questionable. If someone uses this kind of software to obtain the WiFi password to carry on the hacker behavior, thus the prying privacy, the serious likelihood can cause the big leak, the legal consequence may be very serious. There is no free lunch and no real free internet app. For users, to accept the harassment of advertising and earn points in trouble. And with the flow rate, free WiFi hotspot layout in public places increased, free Internet app survival space is bound to be more and more narrow. In the final analysis, it is only a blip in this particular period.