Question:
I was chatting on a web site and one member there gained acccess to my ip adress.... is this illegal?
Adrianlenovo
2009-07-03 01:41:08 UTC
I use an Internet cafe where other users go on the same site and they thought I was using multple handles
Six answers:
Tizio 008
2009-07-03 03:15:58 UTC
I am not sure to have understood your question.



in particular, what do you mean by "gaind access to my IP address"? your IP address, while surfing the net, is "public" and can be seen by any sw your computer communicate to (e.g. when you connect to a site, the site see your IP and can log it, legally; when you chat e.g. with IRC, the clients see each other IP address, and so on); indeed the communication is possible because of the fact that your IP is assigned to your machine in that moment and is known, or data packets couldn't reach you.



if your computer exposes services (even though you don't know), it is legal to try to access them (well configured computers for desktop usage normally do not open ports for incoming connections).



sites, to prevent spams or some other illegal or not good (for the site) activities, can check if different users access from the same IP. if it happens so, they legitimately can think the same person is accessing the site with different usernames (e.g. to gain "points" or whatever).



however, you can say them about the fact that you access the site with a public internet cafe as others, so that it is normal that the same IP appears for different usernames / handles.



from their POV, they haven't done anything illegal
Einstein WhiteHatr
2009-07-03 01:53:15 UTC
Any breach is consider as against the US Cyber Security Law...

Report it US Computer Emergency Response Team
?
2009-07-03 01:52:21 UTC
No. It is up to YOU to protect your privacy, especially on a public machine!

Your usernames, your passwords, anything you type on the net is PUBLIC and can be tracked by anyone.

It is the USE of that information that MAY become illegal (such as impersonating you: identity theft)
Kyle K
2009-07-03 01:45:37 UTC
Yeah it sound illegal but I don't exactly get the question. If you could give me more detail I'd be glad to answer your question with confidence.
?
2009-07-03 01:51:27 UTC
actually, any website can see your IP address, they can't legally access it though...
D3V!N
2009-07-03 01:45:03 UTC
If he modifies any settings than yes


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