The FBI has released a free iPhone app that can be used if your child goes missing. Called “Child ID,” the app “provides a convenient place to electronically store photos and vital information about your children so that it’s literally right at hand if you need it,” according to an FBI press release.
The release continues, “You can show the pictures and provide physical identifiers such as height and weight to security or police officers on the spot. Using a special tab on the app, you can also quickly and easily e-mail the information to authorities with a few clicks.”
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Aside from storing personal info about your children, the app also features a tips section along with a checklist that can be used if your child goes missing.
Early reviews for the app on iTunes have praised the idea but criticized the lack of password protection. The app features a big, red “Call 911” button that some users fear could be triggered by kids playing around with the phone. Others have voiced concerns that if the phone were to be stolen, detailed information about their children could fall into the wrong hands.
As far as privacy goes, the app’s press release notes “the FBI (and iTunes for that matter) is not collecting or storing any photos or information that you enter in the app. All data resides solely on your mobile device unless you need to send it to authorities.” And implementing a password for the app is a pretty trivial fix, so don’t be surprised to see it added relatively quickly if enough users ask for it.
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