After reports of people using the LinkNYC kiosks to view porn — and masturbating in public — LinkNYC has decided to pull the plug on web browsing. The company said, “Starting today, we are removing web browsing on all Link tablets while we work with the City and community to explore potential solutions, like time limits.”
The 400 kiosks across three boroughs, which offer super-fast WiFi, USB outlets for charging and a tablet for free Internet access, were rolled out early this year and hailed as a way to meet the public demand for fast WiFi, information, and viral videos. But the kiosks’ debut has been overshadowed by incidents involving homeless people allegedly squatting by and hogging kiosks.
In a statement, LinkNYC acknowledged “that some users have been monopolizing the Link tablets and using them inappropriately, preventing others from being able to use them while frustrating the residents and businesses around them. The kiosks were never intended for anyone’s extended, personal use and we want to ensure that Links are accessible and a welcome addition to New York City neighborhoods.”
Openly gay Councilman Corey Johnson, whose district encompasses Greenwich Village, Chelsea and part of Midtown, said police officials had asked for the removal of “several problematic kiosks” along Eighth Avenue. He said he had observed people watching pornography on the kiosk screens with children nearby.