Child ID is an app that was created by the FBI in order to aid in the search for children that are reported missing. If you have an Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, or a device with a camera, you can get the app and help yourself alert authorities should your child end up missing. The hope is that as soon as a parent notices their child missing, they can open the app and within a couple minutes, contact the FBI, police or the National Center for Missing Children. It is the first app that was been released by the FBI.
The faster the child’s picture and vital stats get to the police the better chance they have to finding a lost child before the situation gets worse. The parents can send helpful information about their child, like height, weight, nicknames, date of birth, actual name and home address. Parents can also send a quick picture of their child with all the stats and this important information will likely help any search for the child. Privacy issues came up right away, but the FBI ensures that any and all information sent via the app is not stored by them or Apple.
Right now a limited number of devices are available for the app, but the FBI reported that they are going to add support for Android and BlackBerry phones in the near future. A feature that sounds like a good one, but is not currently on the app is GPS so that the police will have an easier time finding the user of the Child ID app. The app really sounds like a great idea, but critics think that any transmission should be password protected to keep users from sending information in error.
A spokesman for the FBI, Michael Lilly, said, “You have a much better chance of recovering a child if you can get that information into the hands of law enforcement very quickly.” The app is available in the Apple iTunes App Store for now, but the FBI has plans to develop the same app for other operating systems. An update for the app is coming soon and the FBI said that one feature they are adding is the ability to take photos that are stored on your phone and send them via the app. Along with the great features the FBI added tips and tricks on keeping your children safe.
