6 ms·

It’s going to be real funny if non Apple users are basically fair game for AirTags tracking and you have to get an iPhone to protect yourself from AirStalking

captn3m0 5y ago
Apparently they can be disabled with any NFC enabled device: https://apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-introduces-airtag/ https://apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-introduces-airtag/ >[...] And even if users don’t have an iOS device, an AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period of time will play a sound when moved to draw attention to it. If a user detects an unknown AirTag, they can tap it with their iPhone or NFC-capable device and instructions will guide them to disable the unknown AirTag. It is better supported on iPhones, but that's acceptable: >iOS devices can also detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner, and notify the user if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time. I'd like this detection to come in stock Android, similar to how the Contact Tracing thing was shared b/w Apple/Google.
- moooo99 5y ago
  > I'd like this detection to come in stock Android, similar to how the Contact Tracing thing was shared b/w Apple/Google. This would be an ideal scenario, even if it took longer to roll out for Android phones thanks to the OS fragmentation Even if that's not happening, I think its not entirely unreasonable for some reliable third party app to pop up an make disabling the AirTags with an Android device almost as easy as an iPhone.
- kelnos 5y ago
  ... and if all else fails, you can always whack it with a hammer a few times. Or just take its battery out.
  - fay59 5y ago
    I’m assuming that instructions to disable the AirTag are basically instructions for how to take off the battery.
- lispnon 5y ago
  Can it happen that some smart man open this device and disable the speaker and then using it to stalk victim? It won't make sound then.
thatguy0900 5y ago
You can already purchase a huge range of items that do exactly what an airtag does. Everyone is already fair game for this type of stalking, it is silly to try and paint apple in a bad light here.
- paxys 5y ago
  How many of these third party devices can use every iPhone, iPad and more in the world as a beacon?
  - thatguy0900 5y ago
    Tile uses everyone with the tile app installed. It's not the same by sheer numbers, but it's more than enough that if someone slips a tile tracker on you they will know where you're at. Or, if someone wants to spend a bit more money, not even much more, they can buy a full GPS tracker that doesn't need anything to report on it. Apple isn't coming out with some groundbreaking spy tech here, this is very routine stuff thats been in a small format forever. And guess what, none of the existing ones do anything to alert anyone of stalking, unlike Apple. I don't even like Apple but this is silly.
    - katbyte 5y ago
      not to mention tile does it without notifying iphones of airtags or the beep when moved.
    - JohnBooty 5y ago
      Tile uses everyone with the tile app installed. It's not the same by sheer numbers It's not Apple's "fault" they're more popular but the end result is that these AirTags are orders of magnitude more potentially dangerous thanks the fact that there are orders of magnitude more iDevice users than Tile app users. Imagine I'm some kind of creep looking for victims in a club or whatever. I'm planning to accomplish this by dropping Tiles into their bags. Statistically, how many Tiles would I need to buy and sneak onto persons in order to have a reasonable chance of snaring a victim who just happens to have the Tile app installed? 50? 100? 1000? Not impossible, but not particularly feasible. How many AirTags would I need to sneak onto victims? Perhaps only one, if they happen to use their phone in public and I see it's from Apple -- that's something I can tell at a glance, unlike wondering if they have the Tile app installed.

captn3m0 5y ago

Apparently they can be disabled with any NFC enabled device: https://apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-introduces-airtag/ https://apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-introduces-airtag/ >[...] And even if users don’t have an iOS device, an AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period of time will play a sound when moved to draw attention to it. If a user detects an unknown AirTag, they can tap it with their iPhone or NFC-capable device and instructions will guide them to disable the unknown AirTag. It is better supported on iPhones, but that's acceptable: >iOS devices can also detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner, and notify the user if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time. I'd like this detection to come in stock Android, similar to how the Contact Tracing thing was shared b/w Apple/Google.

moooo99 5y ago
> I'd like this detection to come in stock Android, similar to how the Contact Tracing thing was shared b/w Apple/Google. This would be an ideal scenario, even if it took longer to roll out for Android phones thanks to the OS fragmentation Even if that's not happening, I think its not entirely unreasonable for some reliable third party app to pop up an make disabling the AirTags with an Android device almost as easy as an iPhone.
kelnos 5y ago
... and if all else fails, you can always whack it with a hammer a few times. Or just take its battery out.
- fay59 5y ago
  I’m assuming that instructions to disable the AirTag are basically instructions for how to take off the battery.
lispnon 5y ago
Can it happen that some smart man open this device and disable the speaker and then using it to stalk victim? It won't make sound then.

thatguy0900 5y ago

You can already purchase a huge range of items that do exactly what an airtag does. Everyone is already fair game for this type of stalking, it is silly to try and paint apple in a bad light here.

paxys 5y ago
How many of these third party devices can use every iPhone, iPad and more in the world as a beacon?
- thatguy0900 5y ago
  Tile uses everyone with the tile app installed. It's not the same by sheer numbers, but it's more than enough that if someone slips a tile tracker on you they will know where you're at. Or, if someone wants to spend a bit more money, not even much more, they can buy a full GPS tracker that doesn't need anything to report on it. Apple isn't coming out with some groundbreaking spy tech here, this is very routine stuff thats been in a small format forever. And guess what, none of the existing ones do anything to alert anyone of stalking, unlike Apple. I don't even like Apple but this is silly.
  - katbyte 5y ago
    not to mention tile does it without notifying iphones of airtags or the beep when moved.
  - JohnBooty 5y ago
    Tile uses everyone with the tile app installed. It's not the same by sheer numbers It's not Apple's "fault" they're more popular but the end result is that these AirTags are orders of magnitude more potentially dangerous thanks the fact that there are orders of magnitude more iDevice users than Tile app users. Imagine I'm some kind of creep looking for victims in a club or whatever. I'm planning to accomplish this by dropping Tiles into their bags. Statistically, how many Tiles would I need to buy and sneak onto persons in order to have a reasonable chance of snaring a victim who just happens to have the Tile app installed? 50? 100? 1000? Not impossible, but not particularly feasible. How many AirTags would I need to sneak onto victims? Perhaps only one, if they happen to use their phone in public and I see it's from Apple -- that's something I can tell at a glance, unlike wondering if they have the Tile app installed.