The NYC Legal Hackers met on April 11, 2013 at eBay NYC to discuss the technical, legal, and policy issues surrounding public wi-fi networks in New York City. The event featured a terrific panel of experts from industry, government, and public interest organizations, and was moderated by Nilay Patel, managing editor of The Verge.

Background: On January 8, 2013, Google announced its plans to develop a public Wi-Fi space—the city’s largest—in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The announcement came on the heels of the Mayor’s efforts to roll out public Wi-Fi in a number of city parks, and alongside federal efforts to free up unlicensed spectrum and promote municipal broadband projects throughout the country. The proliferation and popularity of public Wi-Fi networks implicate a number of important public policy issues, including universal broadband access, federal spectrum policy, data security, privacy, and civil liberties.

Co-Sponsors: This event was co-sponsored by the Federal Communications Bar Association (NY Chapter), New York Law School, eBay NYC, the Cardozo Cyberlaw Society, the Brooklyn Law Incubator & Policy Clinic, and Kelley Drye & Warren LLP.