Online Family Safety

Is Your Teen Jailbreaking?

By Kim Boatman

If you overhear your teen talking about jailbreaking his iPhone or iPod Touch, you might start thinking of police sirens and prison cells. But data loss, malware and voided warranties on expensive gadgets are the risks that should be on your mind.

For teens who own an iPhone or iPod Touch but aren’t content with the applications sold in Apple’s iTunes store, the option of installing unauthorized third-party applications and enabling functions not normally available on the devices might look good. Some teens get satisfaction out of adding free features to their devices -- not to mention a thrill from thumbing their noses at authority.

While jailbreaking isn’t illegal, teens do need to understand what risks they’re taking by jailbreaking an iPhone or iPod Touch, experts say. “You definitely want to talk to them,” says James McCarthy, CEO of Digital Plight Studios, a mobile consulting firm specializing in iPhone, iPod and iPad apps. “You don’t know what kind of content is on there. You should be aware of whether your teen is jailbreaking the phone.”

1. Know the Terminology
Before you have a talk with your teen, make sure you know what you’re talking about. Here are a few key terms:

• Jailbreaking: Allows the user to run unauthorized software code on the device rather than only the code Apple permits. It can also free the device to perform some functions Apple doesn’t currently permit, such as tethering your iPhone to a laptop so you can access the Internet using your phone’s wireless capabilities, McCarthy says.
• Unlocking: Some users attempt to unlock their iPhone to allow it to work on other wireless networks (the iPhone is tied to AT&T), says attorney Chrissie Scelsi, from Port Charlotte, Fla., who specializes in entertainment and new media law.
• Bricked: If an iPod or iPhone quits functioning -- often because Apple has discovered that it’s hacked -- it is bricked.

2. Evaluate the Risks
A recent ruling from the federal government determined that it is not illegal to jailbreak or unlock an iPhone or iPod Touch. However, jailbreaking still involves risks, say the experts. Discuss these with your teen:

• Voided warranty. “Apple could consider it a violation of your terms of service,” warns Scelsi. “You’ll lose support from Apple.” So, if the device is bricked, you or your teen could be out the cost of the iPhone or iPod Touch.
• Malware. Applications that haven’t been vetted through the Apple store may carry viruses and other malicious code. “All kinds of virus-like pieces of code can be incorporated into the programs you load on your device, and there is no one to check them out,” says Owen Rubin, a tech security analyst and co-founder of Edison Labs, which teaches app development.
• Buggy operation. Authorized apps and functions may not work well after an iPhone or iPod Touch is jailbroken, cautions McCarthy. Additionally, operating system updates from Apple may cause the iPhone or iPod Touch to stop functioning.

“If you’re not highly skilled at computers and programming, it may not be worth the risk,” warns Rubin. “Even if you are, you can still ruin your device.” If your teen can’t resist the urge to jailbreak, McCarthy offers an alternative. Purchase a used device on eBay or Craigslist, and let them experiment. “Let them prove to you they can jailbreak successfully,” he says, “without risking the iPhone or iPod Touch that cost hundreds of dollars.”