After complaints of squatting and use for lewd purposes, the company has removed the web browsing feature

LinkNYC has pulled the plug on web browsing at its kiosks, thanks to a group of bad apples who have been using them in ways that they definitely shouldn’t, reports Gothamist. The 400 kiosks will still offer charging outlets, fast WiFi, and free access to features like maps, free domestic phone calls, and 311 and 911 dialing but thanks to the “lewd and nefarious” acts committed by some kiosks users, web browsing capabilities are gone.

LinkNYC has received several complaints of people using the devices for hours on end, homeless people squatting, and groups that use the kiosks to watch pornography, blasts music, and even do drugs. “[S]ome 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 company declared in a statement. According to the New York Times, the kiosks in Midtown Manhattan have “created more problems than benefits.”

The company has said they they are exploring solutions that may include time limits, but until then, the kiosks will go on without web browsing.

From http://ny.curbed.com/2016/9/14/12919782/linknyc-removes-web-browsing-at-kiosks