Yes, technically, it was illegal. Federal Communications Commission states that signal jammers or similar devices are used to deliberately block, jam, or interfere with authorized radio communications (signal blocking, GPS jammers, or text blockers). Federal law is violated. It’s illegal in America to sell jammers, but it’s legal to purchase them from overseas. Only government employees can legally buy such equipment.
Liptak will be given a five-day suspension with no pay. A Florida man who had a jammer in the car for several months was fined $48,000. After several calls during sermons or funerals, at least one priest used a jammer–and he apparently got permission from the police.
The driver, priest, and teacher could have made some mistakes due to the jammers blocking more than their locations. They all jammed with the best intentions, but Liptak may have had the best motive: to get the brats that we call our future to pay more attention.
In the old days, distractions in class were limited to looking out of the window, flipping folded notes, and maybe sneaking in an illustrated book. A student can now do all of that and more on one screen. How can a teacher of any standard compete with YouTube, Snapchat, and Trivia Crack? A filter on the Wi-Fi network at school doesn’t necessarily mean that a child has unlimited data from their family plan.
Instead of condemning Liptak’s actions, society should explore ways to help teachers who are in need. Congress and the FCC should create exceptions to the Communications Act of 1934, upon which many cell jammer restrictions are based. Businesses should be allowed the freedom to create new jamming devices that can be controlled easily by them.
It’s because jammers with a limited, fine-tuned range would find it an excellent idea.
Table of Contents
Theater
In the past few years, I have been on the receiving end of several cell phone calls at movie theatres. In the middle of a movie, someone’s phone rang. The idiot answering the call then began to talk at normal volume. This was not a case of justifiable murder. (At one of those movies, the execrable Land of the Lost. So perhaps I should have been thankful for the distraction. In fact, I stood up and asked the offender, “Are you kidding? Although I would like to believe that the rest of the audience applauded the film, I couldn’t hear the hate of blood pounding in my ears.
If theaters had jammers that triggered the moment the lights dimmed, concertgoers, Broadway fans, film buffs, etc., would be able to forget about rudeness. There are always emergency situations, doctors on call, parents who need to ensure that the babysitter is able to reach them, and so forth. These people need to find a new way to spend their evenings out.
Restaurants
Signs should read: No shorts, No shoes, No phone, NO service Customers who are too busy to order from a server or place orders with them should be tipped 35 percent. Even better, the bistro’s jammer can cut off this customer if they feel the call is too important.
The Workplace
It’s clear that email and the Internet are essential tools in offices. What about cell phones? Pew Research found that only 24% of people who have full-time or part-time jobs rated a smartphone or cell phone as essential to their work. According to another survey, half of the bosses believe that a cell phone can hinder workplace productivity.
Although there are many places that are unsafe to use a cell phone, they are often found on assembly lines or warehouse floors. Employers could block signals but still allow emergency calls.
At Home
Parents can use parental control or monitoring software as much as they want, but once a child (or spouse or grandparents) has the freedom to use the smartphone with a data plan without restriction, it’s difficult to get them talking during family dinners.
As a parent can cut off Wi-Fi at their home, so should they be able to cut cellular signals if necessary. It won’t work to grab phones and put them into airplane mode. Making the house a Faraday cage is something only the tin foil hat crowd should attempt. An in-home cell jammer is an option if necessary. Keep your landline handy.
All these scenarios are predicated upon other lines being readily available in an emergency, or at least the expectation that someone has enough mobility to move beyond the jammer’s reach. Unfortunately, even the most well-intentioned people can’t use the limited tech in a way that doesn’t disrupt services beyond their home, classroom, theater, office, or workplace. You can report illegal jammers to the FCC online complaint portal or call 1-888-265-5322.
Before you decide to do this, think about whether you were really harmed or if that hour without cell service was the best of your entire day. You might not be able to make the call if your signal jams.
