Options for sidewalk Internet browsing in New York City just got more limited. Acknowledging complaints that free LinkNYC kiosks with integrated Android tablets were magnets for illicit behavior, the kiosks' operator said it would temporarily disable their Web browsers.

The LinkNYC consortium, which includes Qualcomm and the city government, told the New York Times 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."

According to local news reports, some people were lingering for hours around the kiosks' screens, occasionally drinking, using drugs, and viewing pornography. The police and a city councilman asked for the removal of some of the kiosks in Manhattan, according to the Times.

There are currently more than 400 kiosks in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens, and the consortium eventually plans to install approximately 7,500 of them across the city. The kiosks are wired with gigabit fiber and a Vonage VoIP phone in the front for free, global calling, all of which is paid for via giant advertising panels on the side. There are also two USB charging ports under the phone panel.

Thanks to their integrated tablets, the original idea was to allow pedestrians without smartphones to quickly look up directions via Google maps, check local events, and access city services. It's unclear which of those services will still be available with the Web browsers deactivated. A LinkNYC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The consortium told the Washington Post in June that "Link tablets use a highly regarded, professional-grade content monitoring system used by thousands of businesses, schools and libraries across the country that is constantly being updated and adjusted as new websites pop up every day."