Is Apple AirTag a simple, if unintended, tool for stalking and surveillance? An investigative test report written by a columnist for the Washington Blog post suggests that this is indeed the case. Geoffrey Fowler's report goes so far as to say that AirTag is a "new, effective and inexpensive form of tracking." AirTag's security features to combat motivated abuse may not be enough, the report suggests. It should be noted here that AirTag, in whatever is connected or installed, can track it.
What the study was about
Fowler asked his colleague Jonathan Baran to follow him through a week using the Apple AirTag in his backpack (Fowler). What emerges from this simple study is somewhat surprising. Apple's new device gave details of Fowler's whereabouts every few minutes with near pinpoint accuracy. When he was home, AirTag allegedly gave out his precise address. The AirTag let Fowler know the device was tracking his movements via iOS notifications and an audible alarm on the AirTag speaker. But the audible alarm sounded after 3 days. If anything, it was "just fifteen seconds of light screeching." In addition to this, alarms are not currently free for Android users. On top of this, the "Find My Network" feature is currently limited to iOS, Android users are not going to be able to appreciate that an AirTag is "traveling" with them. As Fowler noted, “I have received multiple alerts: from the hidden AirTag and from my iPhone. But it wasn't hard enough to find ways for an excessive partner to bypass Apple's systems. To name just one: the audible alarm only went off after 3 days, and then it turned out that there were only fifteen seconds of screeching light left. And another: While an iPhone alerted me that an unknown AirTag was moving with me, similar warnings aren't available to about half of Americans who use Android phones. "As we stated, Apple AirTag is a wireless tracking device whose location can be tracked on Mac and iOS devices using the Find My app. Small and circular, it's designed to be kept in a purse or bag, or attached to keys and other articles.In the report, Fowler asked an Apple vice president to say that AirTag's protective measures "are an industry first, a robust set of proactive deterrents. This is a system. Smart and scalable, and we can continue to improve the logic and timing so that we can improve the deterrence suite." The vice president would not say whether Apple consulted family violence specialists when creating the "AirTag." But said: "Apple is ready to hear anything from these organizations." The Washington Blog post investigative study acknowledges that Apple has done more to prevent the misuse of "AirTags" than other Bluetooth tracking devices. But that may not be enough, supposedly. .