Apple to update AirTags amid claims of stalking and theft
Apple has announced it will add more safeguards to AirTags, a tracking device used to find keys and other personal items, amid reports of the devices being used to stalk people and steal cars.
The tech giant said in a blog post that it had worked with safety groups and law enforcement agencies to identify more ways of improving its AirTag safety warnings.
These new measures include alerting people sooner if the tracker is suspected to be tracking someone, as current notifications that the tracker has been separated from its owner can take hours.
Other updates will include adjusting the tone sequence of the tracker so it is louder and easier to find and allowing someone to see the distance and direction of an AirTag, which are expected to be introduced later this year.
Apple will also add warnings during the setup process, informing users that tracking people without their consent is a crime.
Stories of people realising they are being tracked using the Apple devices have increased in recent months, including the case where a Melbourne student was notified through her iPhone that someone had been tracking her for three hours while she was out with friends.
Her mother Sue, who spoke to 7News on condition of anonymity, said her daughter had found the AirTag in her handbag before destroying it in a panic.
Other stories have emerged online of people, especially young women, discovering the devices hidden in their vehicles.
“We’ve become aware that individuals can receive unwanted tracking alerts for benign reasons, such as when borrowing someone’s keys with an AirTag attached, or when travelling in a car with a family member’s AirPods left inside,” Apple said in a statement.
“We also have seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTags for malicious or criminal purposes.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” the company said.
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