DESPITE its usefulness in helping peole track lost devices, the Apple AirTag has also ben reportedly used by unscruplous individuals to stalk and do uwanted tracking of people.
In addressing this issue, Apple has made an update to the device so that these unwanted incidents can be curbed.
The Cupertino-based company said unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and it took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag, and it's why the Find My network is built with privacy in mind, uses end-to-end encryption.
Apple said it 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. There have seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTag for malicious or criminal purposes.
To address this, Apple has been working closely with various safety groups and law enforcement agencies.
Besides that, Apple said it has been actively working with law enforcement on all AirTag-related requests it received. The company has successfully partnered with them on cases where information it provided has been used to trace an AirTag back to the perpetrator, who was then apprehended and charged.
Advancements coming to AirTag and Find My Network
The following updates represent important steps Apple is taking to address the issues.
New privacy warnings during AirTag setup: In an upcoming software update, every user setting up their AirTag for the first time will see a message that clearly states that AirTag is meant to track their own belongings, that using AirTag to track people without consent is a crime in many regions around the world, that AirTag is designed to be detected by victims, and that law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the AirTag.
Addressing alert issues for AirPods: Users have reported receiving an "Unknown Accessory Detected" alert. Apple confirmed this alert will not display if an AirTag is detected near you — only AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or a third-party Find My network accessory. In the same software update, we will be updating the alert users receive to indicate that AirPods have been travelling with them instead of an "Unknown Accessory."
Apple said it is also investigating a series of updates that we plan to introduce later this year, including:
Precision Finding: This capability allows recipients of an unwanted tracking alert to locate an unknown AirTag with precision. The iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 users will be able to use Precision Finding to see the distance and direction to an unknown AirTag when it is in range. As an iPhone user moves, Precision Finding fuses input from the camera, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope to guide them to the AirTag through a combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback.
Display alert with sound: When AirTag automatically emits a sound to alert anyone nearby of its presence and is detected moving with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Apple will also display an alert on your device that you can then take action on, like playing a sound or using Precision Finding, if available. This will help in cases where the AirTag may be in a location where it is hard to hear, or if the AirTag speaker has been tampered with.
Refining unwanted tracking alert logic: Apple unwanted tracking alert system uses sophisticated logic to determine how we alert users. We plan to update our unwanted tracking alert system to notify users earlier that an unknown AirTag or Find My network accessory may be travelling with them.
Tuning AirTag's sound: Currently, iOS users receiving an unwanted tracking alert can play a sound to help them find the unknown AirTag. Apple said it will be adjusting the tone sequence to use more of the loudest tones to make an unknown AirTag more easily findable.
