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Parents: Important DS Warning
Company: Nintendo
Product: Nintendo DS
I don't consider myself to be an alarmist. I think that most of the people I deal with on a day to day basis would tell you that I am fairly level-headed. I am not trying to inspire panic or to cast dispersions on the Nintendo DS. The truth is, the DS is an excellent gaming console, with a very innovative design and, despite having been around for a while now, the DS is currently one of the most popular - and hard to find - systems in the US market.

That having been said, there was a FOX News report that pointed out that the communication aspect of the DS, PictoChat, could be used by child molesters to find out information about children from a distance of up to and over 300 feet. While the FOX News report seemed to stress the usage of this feature while driving several car lengths apart, making it the target of Penny-Arcade's sharp-witted mockery, the aspect that worried me the most was the 300 foot stationary distance. This could be a shopping mall, a school or a home - from a "safe" distance.

One of the inherent dangers of the DS is that PictoChat is designed to actually SEEK OUT other DS players using PictoChat, allowing an interloper to communicate with a child they had not even seen. The anonymity of chatting with someone on the DS is much like that of an Internet chat; children are likely to freely give their name, home address, when their parents pick them up, what their parents' names are and other personal and sensitive information that could be used for nefarious purposes.

And child molestation is not the only crime that could be aided with this information. Information provided could be used by someone hoping to rob a house or car-jack a car - it's only limited by the criminal's imagination.


The bottom line, however, is that the children need to be taught not to "talk to strangers" on their DS systems. If someone they don't know tries to PictoChat with them - even when they're at school on the playground or at the mall - log off. Don't talk to people you don't already know.

The Nintendo DS Instruction Manual does address the privacy / security issue, as follows:

System Setup and Privacy Information

PictoChat (see page 16) is not an internet application. However, when using PictoChat, you can communicate with up to 15 other Nintendo DS users within range of your DS (approximately 65 feet). Such users will be able to see your nickname and messages. To protect your privacy, do not give out personal information such as last name, phone number, age, e-mail or home address when communicating with others.

An adult should assist children with system setup and instruct them not to use personal information. Children should be warned about communicating with or meeting strangers.

During system setup, whatever date you choose to enter as your month/day of birth (year is not asked for), an "It's your birthday" message will be communicated in the chat room on that date.

For more information on wireless communication and privacy, visit our web site at http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/dsprivacy.

I felt this was worth sharing, since this danger is mentioned on page 10 of the DS instruction booklet (which most parents are unlikely to read) and since Nintendo specifies that the range for the wireless feature is 65 feet, but in the FOX News test it worked from over 300 feet. This is not the end of the world, just a good argument for a bit of caution and education.


-Geck0, GameVortex Communications
AKA Robert Perkins
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