united-kingdom
Is intercepting WiFi signals legal in the United Kingdom?
<p>I want to use a software called Wireshark and its intentions are to collect packets (segments of information) from the WiFi radio spectrum.</p>

<p>However, the Regulation of Investigatory Act 2000 and Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 both say that it is illegal to intercept messages without authorisation.</p>

<ul>
<li>Considering WiFi are on public frequencies, does this mean it's legal to intercept (or in this case, collect packets)?</li>
<li>If not, then why does my computer even allow me to (the manufacturers are committing a crime)?</li>
</ul>

<p>Wireshark's <a href="https://www.wireshark.org/#learnWS" rel="nofollow noreferrer">intentions</a> are not quite as stated in the question - following the link also shows that they (wireshark.org) are quite specific about using it on "your network", and that it's not limited to wifi.</p>

<p>If you were to intercept communications without authorisation, that would be the offence - not whether you used a particular network protocol analyser or even a particular piece of hardware (your computer) to process them. Unauthorised connection of a cable to a physical port could be covered by the same offence. The issue would be with your actions, not with the tool you used.</p>

<p>Keltari's example of the knife in the comments is a good one. I might add that ram raiding a shop is illegal, and cars are not, or that you could use your computer to physically assault someone regardless of the operating system and installed software, but that risks us drifting off into a series of obscure analogies.</p>

<p>It's the actions that are prohibited.</p>
