Apple update may pose safety risk, local police say
New features allows users to share contact info just by being nearby
By: Lucas Frau
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... Apple has released a new feature included in the iOS 17 update called NameDrop, and some New Jersey police departments warn that it may come with a safety risk.
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Although people are always advised to be alert to who comes near their phones, parents may not need to be alarmed by this update.
..... According to Apple, NameDrop is a new feature that allows users to share contact information with new people. When two Apple devices, specifically an iPhone or an Apple Watch, are unlocked and centimeters apart, a message will appear asking if users want to share their contact information or receive the other person's information. People can decline by simply locking the iPhone/Apple Watch or moving away from the other phone.
..... This week [11/27/2023] the Wyckoff, Bloomingdale and Oakland police departments, among others, posted on Facebook a warning about NameDrop, telling parents the feature allows the sharing of photos, contacts and more. They advise parents to turn off the feature in settings, after their children iPhone updates. Police departments across the country are issuing similar warnings.
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As with almost everything involving technology, risks are present, but NameDrop comes with safeguards. For the syncing of information to happen, both parties must consent. Also, the phones must be on and extremely close together (centimeters apart) for the pop-up message to appear.
..... Owners have the option to turn off NameDrop entirely if they fear the risk of personal information becoming exposed. They can go to settings, general, AirDrop,and Bringing Devices Together and then change it to "off." The screen dot should appear as gray.
..... AirDrop is another Apple feature through which parents may fear that their children could be exposed to harmful content. It two iPhones have Bluetooth turned on and are Wi-Fi, someone can send photos to another person by simply clicking on the name of their Apple device. In 2019, explicit pictures were AirDrop to a student in a Montclair public school.