There are warnings from law enforcement agencies nationwide about the new NameDrop feature on the iPhone -- an add-on that allows users to share personal information simply by two iPhone users holding the top ends of their smartphones together. Those agencies claim that the new feature could lead to a doubly-concerning privacy exposure if a parent's phone has their children’s private information and photos on it.
“NEW iPHONE iOS 17 UPDATE WARNING!!,” screamed the Chesterfield Missouri Police Department in an all-caps laden Facebook post. Other law enforcement agencies in Tennessee, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Virginia all threw up the same caution flag.
“WHILE this feature requires PERMISSION for the information to SHARE, we are mainly CONCERNED for the safety of YOUR CHILDREN who may not exercise the same degree of care and caution that an ADULT would.”
The Chesterfield police went on to explain that the new NameDrop feature is an automatic add-up in the most recent iOS 17 update – one that is automatically set to ON.
“Given the amount of cyber bullying, cyber-attacks, as well as cyber predators, we wanted to inform you all on how you can disable this feature. Simply go to your "SETTINGS," then tap GENERAL, once you are in the next screen, click on "AIRDROP" and simply turn off the option for "BRINGING DEVICES TOGETHER,’” the police warned.
Much ado about nothing?
NameDrop isn’t exactly new – except to iPhone users – Google had something similar years ago called Nearby Share. But, Google, too, had to backpedal a bit last month and disable some of what Nearby Share does.
Wired’s Reece Rogers says that, police sirens aside, NameDrop is far from a privacy monster. Rogers says that when two iPhones touch head-to-head a contact card with your email address and phone number should pop up on your iPhone. “After that, you can tap Share or Receive Only. If you choose to share your contact information, it will be sent to the other device. End the transaction by tapping Done in the top left corner of your screen,” Rogers claims, adding that you – the iPhone user – are in complete control.
“Contact sharing will be canceled if the two smartphones are moved apart anytime during the process or if you decide to lock your iPhone using the power button. Even though NameDrop is auto-enabled when you update to iOS 17, it’s crucial to note that consent is required throughout the process. Some random person on the street can’t just bump into you for a few seconds, and then walk away with your phone number.”
Still nervous? If you want to shut NameDrop completely off, just go to Settings, General, AirDrop, Bringing Devices Together and select ‘OFF’.
And if you’re a Google/Android user and want to change the settings on Nearby Share, the company explains how to do that here.
Case closed.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2023-11-29 12:12:06