"Remove This Feature from Our Sons' and Daughters' iPhones"…Warning of Personal Information Leakage Risk

Some US Local Police Issue Warning
"Children's Namedrop Should Be Disabled"

A warning has been issued about the risk of personal information leakage in the iPhone's new feature 'Namedrop,' which is especially popular among the MZ generation.

On the 26th (local time), the overseas IT media outlet 'PhoneArena' reported that police in some parts of the United States warned, "The Namedrop feature should be disabled on children's phones."

Namedrop is a feature that allows iPhone users to exchange contact information simply by bringing their devices close to each other. Using this feature, people nearby can share content or enjoy SharePlay together.

When two smartphones are brought close together, contacts are automatically shared.
[Image source=Apple]

However, U.S. police are concerned that this feature could lead to the leakage of teenagers' personal information. The Middletown Police Department in Ohio recently advised parents, "If Namedrop is misused, phone numbers, email addresses, names, and other information can be transmitted to strangers through your child's iPhone," and recommended, "To prevent such incidents, you should disable the Namedrop feature on your child's iPhone."

Police in other areas, such as Connecticut, have also warned about the dangers of Namedrop through their official Facebook accounts. However, some iPhone users have pointed out that contrary to police warnings, the feature does not automatically exchange personal contact information and requires user confirmation when exchanging data.

Namedrop was officially released through Apple's iPhone operating system update 'iOS 17' on September 18. Apple updates iOS annually to coincide with the release of new iPhones.

Apple has been enhancing features that allow iPhone users to exchange content and information. A representative example is 'AirDrop,' which enables nearby Apple devices to share photos. AirDrop has been especially popular among the MZ generation.

Information-sharing features like Namedrop and AirDrop are also key contributors to strengthening the Apple ecosystem. These features all route through Apple's proprietary iCloud and are only available to people who have purchased Apple devices. It is a strategy to reinforce the sense of connection and efficacy among iPhone users.