FCC Issues Enforcement Advisory: Radio Users Reminded Not to Use Radios in Crimes

UJay

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"The Bureau has become aware of discussions on social media platforms suggesting that certain radio services regulated by the Commission may be an alternative to social media platforms for groups to communicate and coordinate future activities," the FCC said in its warning Sunday. "Individuals using radios in the Amateur or Personal Radio Services in this manner may be subject to severe penalties, including significant fines, seizure of the offending equipment, and, in some cases, criminal prosecution."
 
But wait, there's more...


(I was wondering why they were throwing their .02¢ in -
I (shocker!) saw no eHam or QRZ forum discussions when I looked).
 
gee when is the FCC going to crack down on Police and other government agencies using radios for criminal purposes.

Dispatched to a call and a false arrest or civil rights violation is the result.... a radio was used in the commission of a crime right?

I'm sure at Ruby Ridge the sniper teams were communicating by carrier pigeons or smoke signals.
 
Is using a radio during a felony sort of like using a bullet proof vest? And extra felony added on top?

No, worst thing the FCC can do to anyone is take your shit and hit you with a fine, but compared to whatever the "originally illegal" stuff you were doing was, it will be virtually inconsequential.
 
No, worst thing the FCC can do to anyone is take your shit and hit you with a fine, but compared to whatever the "originally illegal" stuff you were doing was, it will be virtually inconsequential.
The real fun is when they levy a 4-5 figure fine,
and then the asshøle pulls the Cry Poormouth ripcord,
the administrative law judge knocks the fine way down,
and lets them pay it over time.
 
No, worst thing the FCC can do to anyone is take your shit and hit you with a fine, but compared to whatever the "originally illegal" stuff you were doing was, it will be virtually inconsequential.
I've seen quite a few convictions where "use of a telecommunications facility" was a serious enhancer. That can be anything telephonic (internet, cellular, POTS, ATM network, etc.)

I didn't dive into the code cited by FCC, but I assume it would be similar for airwaves.

So, all those guys using CBs, FRS, or GMRS for their Jeep crawls better be careful about wetlands, or any of the other billion federal laws you can accidentally run afoul of.

I have a friend who was once charged with "unauthorized deposit of bodily wastes in a watershed area" -- he was peeing on a tree when a USFS cop took umbrage.
 
I've seen quite a few convictions where "use of a telecommunications facility" was a serious enhancer. That can be anything telephonic (internet, cellular, POTS, ATM network, etc.)

I didn't dive into the code cited by FCC, but I assume it would be similar for airwaves.

So, all those guys using CBs, FRS, or GMRS for their Jeep crawls better be careful about wetlands, or any of the other billion federal laws you can accidentally run afoul of.

I have a friend who was once charged with "unauthorized deposit of bodily wastes in a watershed area" -- he was peeing on a tree when a USFS cop took umbrage.
Amateur. I thought all hookers HIKERS(! damned autocorrect) run a house down their pants leg so the can pee on the move?
 
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I just heard this. I see the FCC is so concerned about us amateur radio operators that they issued this edict on a Sunday. Of course the ARRL rolled over and did the FCC‘s bidding by issuing a ridiculous statement of their own. I didn’t see an FCC statement issued when antifa and BLM were using GMRS and FRS radios during their organized peaceful protests?
The shit just keeps getting crazier and crazier.

AE1Y
 
I've seen quite a few convictions where "use of a telecommunications facility" was a serious enhancer. That can be anything telephonic (internet, cellular, POTS, ATM network, etc.)

I didn't dive into the code cited by FCC, but I assume it would be similar for airwaves.

So, all those guys using CBs, FRS, or GMRS for their Jeep crawls better be careful about wetlands, or any of the other billion federal laws you can accidentally run afoul of.

I have a friend who was once charged with "unauthorized deposit of bodily wastes in a watershed area" -- he was peeing on a tree when a USFS cop took umbrage.

Meh, nothing will ever come out of this. This is just another part of "operation chest puff/grandstand/bloviate" on the completion of "Orange Man Bad".... the swamp people are
scared, and it has them doing a lot of arm flapping right now.
 
some of you know I dabbled in professional radio, mostly as an Engineer behind the scenes.

I held a First Class FCC ticket, Had the title of Chief Engineer at one place, and I still follow the industry.

So now all of a sudden the FCC is concerned about illegal uses of radio equipment?

Where were there when there was an illegal "Pirate" station on 106.1 in Boston, selling ads, putting on events, partnering with the MBTA on the "fill a bus" toy drive one year, every politician in MA made a pilgrimage to their studios groveling for the minority vote, because the illegal station was operated by "people of color"

That is just one of thousands of such operations that the FCC has turned a blind eye to, or the fines were a joke and the pirates just fired up from a new place on a new frequency.

It was only recently that a law change made property owners legally and financially responsible for unlicensed stations unpaid fines and other actions.

The only time I saw the FCC get their feet off their desks and do something in a hurry was when a "pirate" in Brockton was so technically screwed up that they were interfering with the radio traffic at Logan Airport. That day the FCC moved in a hurry, only because the FAA was not going to put up with the hands off BS policies of the FCC.

But for the FCC to all of a sudden start giving a damn about illegal use of radios and the spectrum is a effn joke.
 
some of you know I dabbled in professional radio, mostly as an Engineer behind the scenes.

I held a First Class FCC ticket, Had the title of Chief Engineer at one place, and I still follow the industry.

So now all of a sudden the FCC is concerned about illegal uses of radio equipment?

Where were there when there was an illegal "Pirate" station on 106.1 in Boston, selling ads, putting on events, partnering with the MBTA on the "fill a bus" toy drive one year, every politician in MA made a pilgrimage to their studios groveling for the minority vote, because the illegal station was operated by "people of color"

That is just one of thousands of such operations that the FCC has turned a blind eye to, or the fines were a joke and the pirates just fired up from a new place on a new frequency.

It was only recently that a law change made property owners legally and financially responsible for unlicensed stations unpaid fines and other actions.

The only time I saw the FCC get their feet off their desks and do something in a hurry was when a "pirate" in Brockton was so technically screwed up that they were interfering with the radio traffic at Logan Airport. That day the FCC moved in a hurry, only because the FAA was not going to put up with the hands off BS policies of the FCC.

But for the FCC to all of a sudden start giving a damn about illegal use of radios and the spectrum is a effn joke.
As @radioman said:

All summer the BLM/Antifa clowns were using Baofengs and...

[crickets]
 
It’s good to see a gov. agency looking out for the common criminal and giving them a heads up. Hey, don’t break the law when you’re breaking the law.
 
If ARRL is going to become political, I will not renew my membership. There are other sources for the information they provide.
 
So if they're going to attack licensed radio operators, won't this just push people to stop using their call? Isn't that why CB radio licenses went away back in the day?
 
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