Lying to parents? Now they’ve got an app for that...
MOST parents are happy when they see their child taking a keen interest in maths. But beware – a cunning mobile phone app that appears to be a calculator in fact hides secret pictures.
By entering a four-digit code, children can unlock a vault of images and videos they have stored in the app.
The Private Photos (Calculator%) app – which is rated suitable for those aged four and above – can be downloaded by children on to their smartphones or tablets for free.
Upgrading to the full version for £1.99 allows users to take photos of so-called ‘intruders’ who try to access the app without the correct password.
Photographs and videos stored in the app can also be shared using wi-fi.
And this is just one of several apps that children could use to deceive their parents, including one that masks secret material with a piano keyboard image.
Despite being recommended for children, the Private Photos
‘This is an app I hope no child would have’
(Calculator%)’s preview on iTunes shows an album with a photo showing a woman’s cleavage and another of a female in swimwear.
One reviewer wrote: ‘This innocuous little app is awesome. Looks like a calculator. Acts like a calculator. But it’s Fort Knox in disguise, keeping things you want private, totally hidden.’
Last night, Durham Police warned parents about the app after confirming it formed part of an ongoing investigation.
A spokesman told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The Calculator app is essentially a secret photo album that children can use to hide photos or videos from their parents. The photos are hidden from view behind an icon that looks like a calculator.
‘We would urge parents to be vigilant and discourage their children from using such an app.’
The force declined to comment on the specific nature of the investigation. However, one web safety expert warned that such apps could be used by children to hide and trade sexual images – known as sexting.
April Requard said: ‘I’ve had parents tell me about how they’ve found the calculator app on their kids’ phone and discovered that they were hiding pictures that the parents were shocked that their kids even took.
‘This is an app I hope no child would have on their phone.’
The NSPCC added: ‘It’s important that parents have regular conversations with their children about online safety and know what apps they are using.
‘What’s most important is that children understand the risks of sexting, and they feel able to speak to a trusted adult if they receive any sexual images or are asked to send one.’
Digital Mind Co Ltd, which produced the app, could not be reached for comment.