In an attempt to lessen his children’s screen time, a French Dad shut down the town’s internet and now faces jail time.

According to reports, the dad shut down the town’s internet unintentionally, hoping only to disrupt his children’s internet access. The consequences of trying to prevent his children from spending an excessive amount of time online have proven to be grave. The unnamed French Dad risks up to six months in jail following his precautionary actions.

Under French law, it is illegal to disconnect the entire town’s internet using a scrambler which has led to such a disastrous outcome for this parent.

The father, who lives in the town of Messanges (Landes), used a wave jammer which disrupted the telecommunications in his neighborhood. Allegedly, the father intended only to block access to the internet and social media every night so that his children would not be online all night. He says that his children’s addiction to social media is what prompted him to buy the wave jammer and cap their internet time.

The wave jammer is not certain to only target one household, unfortunately for this father. An additional warning about wave jammers and their usage states that a device of this calibre often has a ‘wider range of action than one thinks or than the seller suggests ” 

After reports from locals in the town, an investigation by the National Frequency Agency (Agence Nationale des Fréquences or ANFR) established his responsibility and legal proceedings were promptly initiated. 

Officials then used a radiogoniometry device to detect the scrambler, which was blocking both Wi-Fi and mobile phone signals, in the town and several neighboring ones.

The ANFR specifies that wave jammers are strictly prohibited in France. Using a wave jammer could lead to a sentence of up to six months in prison and an additional fine of 30,000 euros.

The father will also be required to pay a tax of 450 euros for intervention costs to the National Frequency Agency.