Apple created AirTag as a solution to finding missing keys or other personal things. By eliminating the search for misplaced or lost items, the tracker frees up around 2.5 days a year to do anything other than rummage through drawers, coats and bags, looking for stuff. However, people have found other ways to use it (or rather abuse it), employing it to track others.
This is exactly what happened to redditor diamondhandsfordays, who found an AirTag placed underneath his car by who he later discovered was his ex-father-in-law. Majorly freaked out, he sought advice online, where people recommended getting the police involved.
AirTag is a great solution to misplacing personal items like keys, wallets or backpacks
Image credits: Hansanaw / Reddit (not the actual photo)
However, in this case it was used with malicious intent to stalk a person
Image credits: TheNimbusTwoThousand / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: diamondhandsfordays
AirTag became a tool for people with malicious intentions to track others
At first, the introduction of the AirTag by Apple peaked people’s interest as a relatively cheap way to keep track of their personal items. However, this also became a tool for people with malicious intentions to track others.
Such an issue isn’t new, but the technology has a few differences from standard tracking devices. It uses location data instead of having a built-in GPS system and emits a continuous Bluetooth signal, which can be viewed by its owner.
Eva Galperin, the director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, tells NPR that she was suspicious of it before it launched in the spring of 2021. “I was concerned ahead of their release as soon as I figured out how they worked. I was concerned very shortly after they were released when I started seeing reports of stalking and being contacted by people who were being stalked using these devices,” she said.
Due to unwanted trackings, Apple released a statement in 2022 informing customers that they started closely working with law enforcement to ensure that misuse of their products is dealt with. They explained that every AirTag has a unique serial number, which is linked to a person’s Apple ID account. When law enforcement requests it, Apple can provide them with this information, tracing back to the perpetrator, who is then apprehended and charged.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that technology has been used with malicious intent, but still, Galperin believes that releasing such devices without policies to protect people ahead of time wasn’t right. “I think that Apple has been very careful and responsive after putting the product out and introducing new mitigations. But the fact that they chose to bring the product to market in the state that it was in [2021] is shameful.”
In case an individual is being followed, Apple recommends contacting law enforcement
Due to many safety concerns, Apple put safeguards in place to prevent people from being followed or stalked. While setting it up, users are now informed that it’s only meant to track personal belongings, and any infringement of this is considered a crime in many places around the world. The message also includes a warning that the AirTag is designed to protect the victims and identify its owners.
If an unfamiliar tracking device appears nearby, an alert is displayed on the person’s phone. The gadget also emits sound so it can be easier to locate it. This helps in cases where it’s in a hard-to-see place. At first, this feature wasn’t available to people with Android phones, but Apple teamed with Google to make it accessible to both. The alert should look like this: “AirTag Found Moving With You.”
It’s also worth noting that getting a notification doesn’t mean the person is being followed. The device might be genuinely lost. To deactivate it, just remove the battery, which stops the sharing of the location and simultaneously informs its owner about it.
In case an individual is actually being followed, Apple recommends contacting law enforcement. Experts also advise taking screenshots throughout the process and recording any information about the owner of the AirTag.
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