FBI Reminds Parents About Missing Kids App For Holiday Shopping

Just in time for holiday shopping madness, the FBI is reminding parents about a digital app that might prevent child abductions or missing kids during the Black Friday rush and beyond.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s free Child ID app is “putting safety in your hands,” according to the FBI website.

“It enables parents and guardians to have information available at their fingertips,” said Laura Eimiller, FBI spokeswoman for the Los Angeles office. “Obviously, when a child goes missing, it can be a very stressful time.”

The app also includes tips on keeping children safe, as well as specific guidance on what to do in those first few crucial hours after a child goes missing.

“It provides information on how to interact with law enforcement, and what resources are available to you,” Eimiller said. “It stores information on your phone, and it’s password-protected, and you can immediately email it, whether it’s to law enforcement or media.”

Using a special tab on the app, you can also quickly and easily email the information to authorities with a few clicks.

“The first mobile application created by the FBI provides a convenient place to electronically store photos and vital information about your children so that it’s literally right at hand if you need it,” according to a statement from the FBI. “You can show the pictures and provide physical identifiers such as height and weight to security or police officers on the spot.”

The app is available for free wherever you add apps for your phone, by going to your app store or iTunes and typing in “FBI Child ID.”

The FBI (and iTunes for that matter) is not collecting or storing any photos or information entered in the app, according to officials.

All data resides solely on your mobile device unless you need to send it to authorities.

The mobile provider’s terms of service contains more information about the security of applications stored on a device.