Mohammed Al-Rakhha – Dubai – Friday, February 18, 2022 11:00 pm – Attorneys General in New York and Pennsylvania issued warnings regarding the risks posed by the tracking devices of the American company “Apple AirTags”, as a tool for stalking.
Since the launch of Apple’s personal trackers last April, it wasn’t long before people started abusing them to track people without their consent, given the device’s size makes it ideal for slipping into pockets and purses undetected.
To address the threat posed by these button-sized devices, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a consumer warning that using AirTags to stalk people “would be treated as a felony.”
The official issued a consumer alert with safety recommendations; To protect state residents from malicious actors by using AirTags to track individuals’ locations and property for malicious purposes.
“Individuals have reported finding unidentified AirTags attached to their vehicles, bags, coat pockets, and other personal belongings,” it said in a statement. Others have reportedly received alerts on their phones that their location information is being shared.”
Across the country, AirTags tracking devices to track people and their property are being misused to cause harm… Tracking people without their awareness or consent is a serious felony and my office will not tolerate it. I urge all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their belongings, and follow the advice my office gives to staying safe.”
“The safety of New Yorkers is my highest priority, and my office will continue to do everything in its power to protect New Yorkers,” the attorney general stressed in her statement. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro took a similar position.
According to Apple, AirTags send a “secure” Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network app.
Apple claims that “the entire process is anonymous and encrypted to protect users’ privacy.”
Over the past month, a number of women told the BBC that they had been followed up using AirTags tracking devices.
It appears that Apple has noticed the problem, and last Thursday (February 10) announced plans to introduce a number of changes that would make it difficult to misuse AirTags to stalk someone later this year.
As part of the changes to make abuse more difficult, the US company said that every user who sets up their “AirTag” for the first time will see a message warning that using the device to track people without consent is a crime in many regions around the world.
Currently, iPhone users (and Android users who have the app installed on their phones) receive Tracking Spam alerts if an unknown AirTag travels with them.
And Apple announced that people will be alerted earlier that unknown “AirTag” devices are traveling with them.
And when “tracking spam” is warned by “AirTag”, iPhone users (starting with iPhone 11 only) will be able to use “Precise Search” to find out the distance and direction of the unknown “AirTag” when in range.
Previously, only the owner of “AirTag” might do this, and the company has also updated its user guide for “anyone who is concerned, technology abuse, stalking, or harassment.”
