Home » UK ISP News Archive » Article Tag: Crime (160 Posts)

Articles for Category Tag - Crime

Apple’s Private Relay Service Creates Challenges for UK ISPs

5th October, 2021 (21 Comments)

Technology giant Apple recently released their iOS 15 software for iPad (15.5) and iPhones, which introduced a new feature called ‘iCloud Private Relay’ that “hides your IP address and browsing activity [when using Safari] so that no one – including Apple – can see [it].” Naturally, the UK Government and broadband ISPs have concerns.

Openreach Offer GBP20K Reward for Info on Essex Cable Thefts

29th September, 2021 (3 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) are offering a reward of up to £20,000 – via Crimestoppers – for information that results in the conviction of those responsible for a string of copper telecoms (broadband and phone) cable thefts in Essex (England), which have recently plagued parts of Roothing, Epping and Harlow.

smartphone with incoming call from unknown person

Gov Proposes Tougher UK Penalties for Nuisance Calls and Texts

9th September, 2021 (14 Comments)

The UK Government has today announced that their planned data reform, which covers a multitude of areas (many of which are outside our focus), will also set out plans to impose tougher penalties and fines for nuisance calls and text (SMS) messages. But it’s unclear how much impact this will actually have.

Judge Blocks Crowdfunded Legal Challenge to UK 5G Rollout

30th July, 2021 (0 Comments)

The High Court has blocked a highly questionable crowd-funded legal challenge by the Action Against 5G campaign, which had been attempting to disrupt the rollout of ultrafast 5G (mobile broadband) services over fears that “radio-frequency radiation from masts and wireless devices puts health and life at risk.“

High Court Orders Big UK ISPs to Block 19 More Piracy Websites

23rd July, 2021 (20 Comments)

The High Court in London has, following a case raised by the Motion Picture Association of Europe (MPA), issued a new injunction that forces most of the major UK broadband ISPs (e.g. BT, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Plusnet etc.) to block 19 websites that were found to be facilitating internet copyright infringement (piracy).

Misguided 5G Vandals Wreck Broadband Service in Rural Somerset

11th May, 2021 (0 Comments)

Rural homes and businesses around the Norwood Park area of Somerset (England), specifically those connected to the local network run by UK ISP Voneus, lost their internet connection over the weekend after a group of “misguided 5G protestors” damaged broadband equipment while mistaking it for a mobile mast.

Mobile Operators and Ofcom Warn of Scam DHL and FedEx Text

30th April, 2021 (8 Comments)

We’ve had several of these and there’s a good chance you have too. This week has seen Ofcom and all the major mobile operators – EE, Vodafone, Three UK and O2 – issue warns to customers about a surprisingly prevalent piece of malware called FluBot, which sends fake DHL or FedEx delivery messages that can infect your phone.

ICO and Ofcom See Recent UK Surge in Nuisance and Scam Calls

23rd March, 2021 (22 Comments)

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Ofcom have today published an update to their joint plan for tackling nuisance and scam calls, which comes after they both reported a surge in complaints from September/October to December 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

Arsonists Attack Openreach Broadband Cabinets in Essex UK

1st February, 2021 (41 Comments)

Three of Openreach’s street cabinets, and an unrelated mobile phone mast in Chelmsford (Essex), have been seriously damaged after arsonists attacked them this morning, which has sadly left almost 3,000 premises (homes and businesses) without access to either broadband or phone connectivity during a pandemic!

Mobile Operators Reject Call to Stop 5G Rollout Over Health Fears UPDATE

19th January, 2021 (0 Comments)

The trade association for UK mobile operators, Mobile UK, has warned that calls for the 5G rollout to be delayed on health grounds are “without merit“. The commentary comes after Professor John William Frank (University of Edinburgh) alleged that the transmitter density required for 5G may be “potentially harmful to health.”

copper vs fibre optic openreach engineer

9 Attacks on Openreach Cables in London Prompt £20k Reward

1st October, 2020 (11 Comments)

Back in August we reported on a spate of copper telecoms cable thefts (Metal Theft) in East London, which had disrupted broadband ISP and phone connectivity on Openreach’s (BT) UK network for those living nearby (here). After a ninth attack the reward for information has now been raised from £1k to £20k.

Three UK and EE Protect 5G Mobile Masts with SmartWater

18th August, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL) organisation, which runs the joint network sharing venture between mobile operators EE (BT) and Three UK, has moved to protect 4G and 5G based mobile masts by deploying SmartWater technology to forensically tag vandals who attack their infrastructure.

5G Conspiracy Theorists Hire Lawyer to Sue UK Gov Over Health Fears

15th August, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Action Against 5G mobile group, which holds to a widely debunked conspiracy theory that “radio-frequency radiation from masts and wireless devices puts health and life at risk“, has crowd-funded £105K to hire barrister Michael Mansfield QC in order to take legal action against the UK Government to stop the roll-out.

Wave of Copper Cable Thefts Hit Broadband in East London

12th August, 2020 (4 Comments)

Over the past few weeks criminal gangs have conducted a series of thefts (Metal Thefts) of copper telecoms cable in East London, which has disrupted broadband ISP and phone connectivity on Openreach’s (BT) UK network for those living closest to the incidents. As usual a reward of £1,000 is being offered to help catch the thieves.

Fake Engineers Steal Batteries from Openreach Street Cabinets

9th July, 2020 (21 Comments)

The Worcester Crown Court (WCC) has this week convicted three men after they dressed up as fake engineers in order to steal vital backup batteries from Openreach’s (BT) street cabinets, which supply broadband and phone connectivity to homes and businesses. The thefts took place across the UK.

COVID-19 5G Conspiracy Arsonist Gets 3 Years for Burning Mast

9th June, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Liverpool Crown Court has sentenced Michael Whitty (47) to three years in prison after he set fire to one of Vodafone UK’s 4G masts in Kirkby on 5th April 2020, which caused damage estimated to be worth up to £15,000. Whitty’s action was fuelled by a bonkers conspiracy theory that links the spread of COVID-19 to 5G.

Trading Standards to Halt Sales of £300 SCAM Anti-5G USB Stick

29th May, 2020 (0 Comments)

The City of London Police (Action Fraud Squad) and UK Trading Standards are to target sales of the bizarre £300 5GBioShield, which was recommended by a member of Glastonbury Town Council’s much criticised 5G Advisory Committee and falsely promised to create a shield against 5G mobile radiation. Except it’s just a USB stick.