A French father bought a signal jammer to keep his children from accessing the internet. This seemingly innocuous and educational act may cost him dearly – according to reports, the father faces jail time and a hefty fine.
Every day from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m The French town of Messanges discovered that their cell phone and internet connection were no longer operational.
After the issue was reported by a local Mobile carrier, The Agence nationale des fréquences (ANFR) conducted an investigation and found out that a signal jammer was active during those hours, interfering and effectively preventing access to the internet and cellular data.
What is a Signal Jammer?
A signal jammer is a device that transmits radio waves on the same frequency as mobile devices to prevent them from connecting to cell towers and receiving legitimate signals.
“The explanation was disconcertingly simple: the jammer had been installed by the father of the family to prevent his teenagers from accessing the internet with their smartphone instead of falling asleep! His children had indeed become addicted to social networks and other applications, in particular since the confinement imposed due to the epidemic of Covid-19,” ANFR explained in their report.
While it was not the father’s intention to shut down a whole town’s Internet, deploying a jamming device is prohibited in France and may result in a €30,000 fine and 6 months in prison.
So, kids, listen to your parents when they advise you to rest and stop doing what you’re doing on the internet. Don’t allow them to do anything that might get them in trouble.
