Am I legally responsible for my house-mates' Internet usage, seeing as it's my Internet account?

Question

Hmmm. Didn't know where else to go but Yahoo! Answers. So anyways, I'm sharing accommodation with five other house-mates and all I really want to know is whether I'm legally responsible for their Internet usage? I've set up the broadband in my name, but if they get traced downloading illegal content (from say file-sharing networks), is it me that gets the blame as seen by the laws of the United Kingdom?

I get that the risk is small, but I know the penalties can be pretty hefty. Would it be wise to try and mask my router's Internet activity through a free proxy server? If so, how easy is that to do and how much will it slow down my connection speed?

I'm not willing to try and restrict my house-mates' Internet usage like some paranoid parent, but I will recommend that they all use software firewalls to hide their existence. Is that enough?

Cheers much for any response!

Answer 1

Yup, you're liable.

Since it's all your stuff, you could set them up in limited user accounts & password protect your own acct & keep it secret from them. Kinda parental, but it's your *** if they go over the line

Answer 2

You're not liable for their usage.



However, you will be held responsible for the content they are downloading.



Your ISP will give you an IP address for your router. The router will automatically assign IP addresses for each of the computers connected to it through DCHP.



The only address that will be seen is the Router's IP address and that will be traced to you.



Unless you can get some kind of software that tracks downloaded files and where they finally end up but I bet that's expensive.



You may be debating with yourself that the risk is perhaps small enough to let it go.



But if one of those guys downloads kiddie porn, you'll be sunk... not the guy who downloaded it.



Your ISP will tell the cops your IP address, what was downloaded and when. They'll turn over your house address and the boys in blue will beat a path to your door.



You see, unless you have a server set-up that keeps track, the router will never remember who downloaded what and from where. Once the information hits your router, there's no record of where that data is going to end up within the house. unless, as I pointed out, you have some sophisticated software running.



The police will not be able to get a court order for each computer that connected because if only one person is guilty, then the other five will be innocent and that would violate their human rights.



But you take the fall because you allowed them to use your internet.



I would suggest that the only way to really do this is to buy a wireless router and a wireless card and secure the h*ll out of it. They will know there is a wireless box somewhere but if you enable the SSID, they will not be able to access it and they'll not know it's you - it could be next door.



Is this rented accommodation or do you own the house as well?



Put it this way, I wouldn't take the risk.

Answer 3

If the others are all over the age of 18, then no, you are not responsible. After all, your ISP isn't responsible for your downloading, is it?



BUT, you should set it up so all computers are on a fixed IP on the network. Stop the routers DNS, then set up individual IP's on each computer; it cannot be done on the router. NOTE: Xp and Vista require the ip address of the DNS from your ISP. Get this off your router before changing the settings.



You can also give them a Usage Policy document, stating what isn't allowed, such as kiddy porn, and that if you believe they are involved in illegal computer usage (including hacking, spamming, etc) you will inform the police. This is for your protection.



This won't endear you to the others, but give them the choice of that or NO INTERNET, after all, you CAN block them from the network.



Just make sure you explain why you are doing this. If they don't like it, tough. Block them.



JBV^_^

Answer 4

I imagine you are legally responsible to your ISP for paying for the account and ensuring their Terms and Conditions are met. Your provider would not pleased 1,000,000 spam emails emanating from your network and is unlikely to be sympathetic to you placing the blame on a housemate.



Now, suppose a UK law is broken. Downloading child pornography or fraudulent use of a credit card, for example. Mr Plod is going to come down hard on you because you are first in the firing line, the account being in your name. But I cannot see why you could be held responsible.



Suppose one of the people you are sharing the house with used your phone to set up a bank robbery or send money to an organisation thought to be involved with terrorism. Why should you be held responsible for that?

Answer 5

As the account is in your name you are legally responsible for paying the account. The Legal Terminology for this is Contract of Tort. As for someone carrying out an illegal act on his or her computer you are not responsible. The person who commits the act through using his or her computer can and will be identifiable to the authorities. To read/studt the Legislation go to www.opsi.gov.uk/ and click onto Legislation. Next click onto Public Acts. Next click onto Regulation of Investigatory Act 2000. You also need to read/study the Computer Misuse Act 1990 which can be accessed at

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1990/Ukpga_19900018_en-1.htm

You can also check case law at http://www.bailli.org/ and click onto England and Wales to the left of the page. Next type in the name of the Acts mentioned in this answer. Hopefully this will help but, if it does not then revisit this site and i will provide you with case law.

Answer 6

if it is your contection on that is being used (as in your name alone is on the contract) then you are legaly held responsible for any use of that that service. regardless of who uses it, as you are reponsible for controling that, it being yours to allow others to use.



if multiple names on the contract then it would most likely be difficult to prove who has greater responsibilty for use - so therefore would default to equal responsibilty based on ability to pay (i.e if payment is defered and allowed to default enough it would pass to a collection agency, and they would seek recompense, on that basis, and an employed person as compared to unemployed .. well you can see who they are going to chase) - beyond that it would then fall to the individuals to redress - possibly ending in a civil court/county court judgement aka ccj)



I used to work in cust services for BT, vodafone and O2, and I doubt the company your with will operate much diffrent



depending on your router, you may be able to control the number of ips available, set the pcs to which ip is allocated and ban/control mac addresses allowed. if its particularly top end you may have other features like bandwidth conotrol, data allowances etc, port control (like if you allow them access to port 80 and 8080, and the others linked to pop and smtp email then they can only browse the web and use email)

Answer 7

You bet that you are responsible and liable, since the account is on your name.

Don't take the risk. Let them get their own computers and broadband.

Answer 8

maybe not as it will show on the logs which computer the stuff is going to firewalls will not stop there network ids from being seen and you do not want them hidden as you want to prove that other people use your internet even if it is in your name.

Answer 9

Mask all you like but you will be found if someone looks hard enough. If you can't moderate their behaviour, on your head be it!

Answer 10

yes you are