This article is about teens pranking strangers (mostly) by sending them images via AirDrop. If you’re not familiar with AirDrop, it uses a combination of Bluetooth and WiFi to allow Apple users to easily share files between devices. AirDrop reception can be placed into three modes: send only, contacts only, everyone. If you don’t want to be pranked, don’t leave AirDrop reception set to everyone. Here’s an Apple article explaining it:
I'm reminded of this scene from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In theory, the goal of the airdrop is to create new users, but in practice the airdrop receivers just cash out their chips and go home.
Considering the consequences for that person had they displayed their penis on the subway unbidden, it's pretty surprising no legislatures have championed the case for Apple to implement reporting features to airdrop.
Is that necessary though. There are plenty of stories of people setting their AirDrop policies to 'Everyone' instead of 'Contacts Only' or 'None' where people are receiving unsolicited files (usually NSFW images). From my memory, they did not need to have their sharing pane open for this to happen to them.
I want to believe this is just badly timed. I don't know, I very often want to AirDrop with someone I don't know or have a contact for -- clients of clients, usually... And I've found I set it to 'Everyone' and forget. Which isn't ideal on the odd plane-trip with people trying to be funny...
I got AirDrop spammed at the airport just recently, after accidentally leaving it enabled for Everyone. I can only imagine what the video contained if I'd clicked on it...
0. https://jezebel.com/passengers-keep-airdropping-nudes-and-ai...
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