The Ethics Expert also points out that if you find an open connection, you should try to figure out who owns it to let them know it’s open — in case they want to cut it off. Of course, he leaves out the strongest argument for why there’s nothing wrong with using free WiFi, assuming you’re either on public property or your own property: those radio waves are no longer under the control of the access point owner once they drift off of his or her property
While I suppose that an argument could be made that you should never use what you donâ’t pay for, I don’t think this would apply here and I’m not even sure that I agree with the broad sentiment. Unless it is made clear to users tapping into wireless connections that they must agree to certain conditions before proceeding, they have not breached any ethical mandate by logging on in any way that they legally can.
The right thing would be for those who set up wireless connections and want to keep them private to take the time to do so. If you’re a piggybacking user and can identify the individual to whom the connection belongs, it would be courteous but not essential to let that person know that you and presumably others are able to enjoy their wireless largesse.
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