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At some point, a committed stalker has access to lots of other options for stalking that are easier than the AirTag game.

• nullc 5y ago
  What other options allow them to embed a tiny almost invisible device in a piece of clothing or a toy and learn its location from anywhere in the world? GPS trackers are larger, require a fair amount of power (big battery), don't work well indoors, and require cellular service.
  • mwint 5y ago
    I was thinking about this - if I were a stalker, I wouldn’t bother with any physical device. I’d just add myself (or an innocuous looking account) to “share my location” on their phone. The non-HN public would probably never notice, and it wouldn’t be too hard to get someone’s unlocked phone (especially in an abusive-relationship scenario)
    • nullc 5y ago
      In cases where you can get access to the phone, sure. But these trackers mean that you can give a stuffed animal to your favorite streaming star at a conference (or sent one in the post to their mailbox service) and then learn where they live... and you can do so with a few minutes effort and a few dollars in cost above the toy. If you know you're at risk you can protect your phone. I think the threat from these apple-powered trackers is much more severe, but it's true that these sorts of risks still exist without them.