Police Warning Parents About DSi

[wraggster]

Watch out parents! The DSi could put your kids at the mercy of child predators alert Arkansas police.

A local news report points out the the DSi doesn't only have a web browser, but it has a web browser and an embedded camera. Cue the hyper-active alarm bells!

"Now not only can the children be contacted, but they can be asked to provide pictures, video," says Sergeant Adam Holland, who investigates internet crimes against children.

See, before parents were worried about people drawing lewd pictures on the DS's PictoChat and now they're worried about people taking them. Or something.

It's really a good thing that kids these days don't have cell phones and that cell phones don't have cameras or internet browsers!

The local news report does point out that the DSi does have parental features — such as the ability to lock out certain websites. Explains, Sergeant Holland, "If the only website you want your kids to go to is YouTube, you go into the parental lockout feature, put in YoutTube's URL, and that's the only website your kids will be able to go to."

Phew, because there's nothing inappropriate on YouTube at all. Nothing.

http://kotaku.com/5165341/police-warning-parents-about-dsi

[Epic Pie]

Lol, this was the same thing with the Nintendo DS with picto chat. Seriously, why would a pedo be carrying around a DS with him just to lure children? The children would be most likely playing a game so they couldn't do picto chat unless they went to the DS Menu.

[Flygon]

Can the DSi browser even go on youtube?

[wiggy fuzz]

... yet kids have had webcams and camera phones for years...

game over, common sense!

[Seven7]

Ugh, i hate things like this, because sadly, fear mongering like this actually works. We, the people who use these devices day in and day out know better, the parents typically don't know jack, and thus, it's easy to misconceive them about what a device is and isn't capable of.

While the thought of a child preditor using a ds or a dsi isn't too farfeched, the idea that it whould work is a little less solid...

The trick is, how to convince everyone else that this is not something to be afraid of, not an easy task.

[mattsaysfooey]

Around here a 14 year old took a naked picture of his gf and sent it to one person. That person sent it to alot of people. All the cell phone records were pulled and all the parents of those kids are being charged.

[gumgod]

... yet kids have had webcams and camera phones for years...

game over, common sense!


You're forgetting the article was written by police officers for parents, common sense does not apply as the majority of the aforementioned parties do not have any. :-P