Or is this the usual knee-jerk hype that comes with every new Apple product?
AirTags are little pucks that let you track andfind bags, pets, and keys.
They also allow you to track people, which of course, raises privacy concerns.
Đức Trịnh / Unsplash
Apple has several built-in safeguards to stop people from tracking others with AirTags, but do they work?
Canabusive spouses use these cool little tracker tilesto terrorize their partners?
Can cops use them for unauthorized tracking?
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They do so by emitting a periodic Bluetooth blip.
Safety Measures
Apple already tries to mitigate privacy breaches.
Anyone with access to your iPhone can disable these alerts.
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Thats where the problems begin.
If you use an Android phone, then you wont get any warning for three days.
But thanks to the sheer number of iPhones out there, its not an uncommon set of circumstances.
This is the AirTags biggest advantage and maybe Apples biggest problem.
Thats a very specific set of circumstances…
But thanks to the sheer number of iPhones out there, its not an uncommon set of circumstances.
Other tracking devices exist, but none have the reach of AirTags, thanks to Apples incredible internet effect.
This makes them less effective for tracking, but also less effective for stalking.
Fixes and Hacks
Apple could further mitigate these stalking possibilities with software changes.
But how far can it really go here?
You also can hack AirTags to make them more stalker-friendly.
Its also possible to remove the guts of an AirTag and encase it in amore-easily-hidden card.
Asecurity researcher already has hackedthe AirTags software, bringing about the possibility of customizing how they work.
Are AirTags a Privacy Threat?
AirTags are designed to track things, and they do a great job.
Like any tool, they can be used for good and bad.
The bad, in this case, is actually pretty bad.
