Similarly, if someone is using the internet to commit fraud or break a federal law, then those activities could be considered a federal crime, and the perpetrator could be blocked or shut down. If someone is using the internet to conduct illegal activities, such as cyberstalking or hacking, then authorities may be able to take action against them by booting them offline. However, there are some situations where booting someone off the internet could be considered a federal crime. This type of blocking is generally done with the user’s consent.Īdditionally, many service providers have policies about what is considered acceptable use for their services, and may block users who do not adhere to those policies. In the United States, this is considered an acceptable practice under the general law as long as it is done lawfully and not maliciously.įor example, employers may terminate an employee’s internet service account in order to protect the employer’s data and keep the employee from accessing certain websites. Booting someone off of the internet generally means using software to block them from using the internet or network services. No, booting people offline is not a federal crime.
