A missing teenager’sNintendo Switchwas used to track her down two weeks after her disappearance. Thehybrid console just might be on its way out, but even in its old age, it still has surprising uses.
A success since its launch in 2017, theNintendo Switchis still one of the industry’s top consoles. Its main selling point is the ability to play larger, console-quality games on the go with fewer compromises than a pure handheld version of a console game would provide, but various other features are also worth noting, such as its in-depth Parental Controls, custom button mapping even on the home screen, a lack of region locking, and the ability to watch YouTube and Twitch via downloading some extra apps. But one nifty yet controversial feature it shares with a multitude of electronics is the ability to track individual consoles and thus their owners via data collected by the manufacturer.
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As reported by Forbes, in August 2022, 14-year-old Jane from Norfolk, Virginia went missing, vanishing for two weeks straight. Reportedly, the girl was a quiet, reserved homebody and thus her disappearance was out of character according to her worried parents. Jane had spent a few hours watching YouTube andeven downloadedLittle Nightmaresfrom the eShopon her Switch. From there, the FBI commissioned Nintendo to provide data on the Switch’s usage and location.
The authorities were able to locate Jane and her Switch at an apartment in Tolleson, Arizona after seeing the various Wi-Fi networks the Switch had been connected two over the past two weeks. Apparently, 28-year-old Ethan Roberts was also there, having allegedly met and groomed Jane through Omegle and brought her to his home via Greyhound Bus reportedly in hopes of sending out more sexually explicit material involving her. It would not be the first timean underaged gamer has been a victim of trafficking, but thankfully Roberts received a 30-year sentence for his crimes and Jane was returned home safely.
In today’s increasingly tech-oriented world, many consumers now have to cope with the idea that those who make their hardware and software now have access to data pertaining to their usage of it. An ongoing debate exists, on whether the practice is an invasion of privacy or a necessary evil, especially since many people who play video games are minors. Some companies such as Microsofthave even been fined for harvesting gamers' data. But if there’s anything stories like this one prove, it’s that the issue is nowhere near as black and white as some may believe it to be.
