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There's mention below of a forthcoming Android app to alert people that they're being followed by AirTags, but no mention I saw of any protection for those who

There's mention below of a forthcoming Android app to alert people that they're being followed by AirTags, but no mention I saw of any protection for those who simply do not own a smartphone. The thought that people who likely have chosen to purposely opt out entirely from the always-connected ecosystem are now subject to unwanted tracking with no way to opt out or even be informed is frankly despicable.

jcoder 5y ago
What sort of solution would you suggest
- jdpedrie 5y ago
  That there is no solution to be suggested is sort of the point.
- yeetaccount2 5y ago
  If we go along with the idea that gun makers are at least partly responsible for school shootings*, then let’s make Apple at least partly responsible for stalkers using their products to stalk. Let them figure out the rest, including solutions for people without any electronics. Maybe they need to give everyone on request a device to detect them, but even then you have to know what Airtags are and know to (and how to) request this device, so it’s still an imperfect solution. Maybe they ought to do a background check and have Airtags registered to your name, that you’re legally responsible for. This sounds crazy now, but it may be the discussion society is having in 10 or 20 years. At the least, they shouldn’t release an app to detect these. They should release a white paper so everyone can have their own implementation of Airtag detection. As for me, I’m fully prepared to see my ass bearing down on a toilet as I’m about to take a shit in a toilet paper advertisement. We need strong privacy laws. Technology has upended everyday life and there’s very little room left for you to not be monitored by stalkers^W marketers^W the rest of the world. * I’m not saying this is a good idea, but it looks like Remington might legally bear some liability for Sandy Hook.
  - colejohnson66 5y ago
    That seems a little extreme. Companies in general are not responsible for how people use their products. If I buy a kitchen knife at the grocery store, why should KitchenAid be responsible if I kill someone with it? Carmakers aren't responsible when someone runs over pedestrians. As for registration, they already are registered to the owner's Apple account. That's how the owner is able to track it and know if it's been found.
- PascLeRasc 5y ago
  A speaker in the Airtag that beeps once every 24 hours
  - Aaronn 5y ago
    It does that > An AirTag that isn't with the person who registered it for an extended period of time will also play a sound when moved so you can find it, even if you don’t use an iOS device. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227
hyperstar 5y ago
On what frequency do they transmit? What non-smart equipment does one need to detect one?
skinnymuch 5y ago
Wouldn’t you need to be always connected in order to get an alert for something that can happen at any time? Also. This is mostly PR for Apple. If someone puts any other tracker on me. I’ll never be notified.
cjrp 5y ago
GPS trackers with a cellular connection existed before AirTags
bb123 5y ago
This isn’t new or unique to AirTags. You can buy a GPS tracker on Amazon for a few dollars, and short of tearing your car apart you’d have absolutely no way of finding it. Frankly I think apple has put far more effort into safeguarding their product from malicious use than any of the readily available competitors.
- Iefthandrule 5y ago
  It would seem best for Apple, Google, et al to collaborate on universal tracking detectors, similar to universal hidden camera detectors: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AFjGQNaqmXA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AFjGQNaqmXA * edit - It appears that may be in the works: https://gizmodo.com/apple-lets-you-scan-for-evil-airtags-that-might-be-hove-1848036651 https://gizmodo.com/apple-lets-you-scan-for-evil-airtags-tha...
Aaronn 5y ago
They have a speaker that plays a sound randomly every few hours when it hasn't been near the owner's device in a while. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227

jcoder 5y ago

What sort of solution would you suggest

jdpedrie 5y ago
That there is no solution to be suggested is sort of the point.
yeetaccount2 5y ago
If we go along with the idea that gun makers are at least partly responsible for school shootings*, then let’s make Apple at least partly responsible for stalkers using their products to stalk. Let them figure out the rest, including solutions for people without any electronics. Maybe they need to give everyone on request a device to detect them, but even then you have to know what Airtags are and know to (and how to) request this device, so it’s still an imperfect solution. Maybe they ought to do a background check and have Airtags registered to your name, that you’re legally responsible for. This sounds crazy now, but it may be the discussion society is having in 10 or 20 years. At the least, they shouldn’t release an app to detect these. They should release a white paper so everyone can have their own implementation of Airtag detection. As for me, I’m fully prepared to see my ass bearing down on a toilet as I’m about to take a shit in a toilet paper advertisement. We need strong privacy laws. Technology has upended everyday life and there’s very little room left for you to not be monitored by stalkers^W marketers^W the rest of the world. * I’m not saying this is a good idea, but it looks like Remington might legally bear some liability for Sandy Hook.
- colejohnson66 5y ago
  That seems a little extreme. Companies in general are not responsible for how people use their products. If I buy a kitchen knife at the grocery store, why should KitchenAid be responsible if I kill someone with it? Carmakers aren't responsible when someone runs over pedestrians. As for registration, they already are registered to the owner's Apple account. That's how the owner is able to track it and know if it's been found.
PascLeRasc 5y ago
A speaker in the Airtag that beeps once every 24 hours
- Aaronn 5y ago
  It does that > An AirTag that isn't with the person who registered it for an extended period of time will also play a sound when moved so you can find it, even if you don’t use an iOS device. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227

hyperstar 5y ago

On what frequency do they transmit? What non-smart equipment does one need to detect one?

skinnymuch 5y ago

Wouldn’t you need to be always connected in order to get an alert for something that can happen at any time? Also. This is mostly PR for Apple. If someone puts any other tracker on me. I’ll never be notified.

cjrp 5y ago

GPS trackers with a cellular connection existed before AirTags

bb123 5y ago

This isn’t new or unique to AirTags. You can buy a GPS tracker on Amazon for a few dollars, and short of tearing your car apart you’d have absolutely no way of finding it. Frankly I think apple has put far more effort into safeguarding their product from malicious use than any of the readily available competitors.

Iefthandrule 5y ago
It would seem best for Apple, Google, et al to collaborate on universal tracking detectors, similar to universal hidden camera detectors: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AFjGQNaqmXA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AFjGQNaqmXA * edit - It appears that may be in the works: https://gizmodo.com/apple-lets-you-scan-for-evil-airtags-that-might-be-hove-1848036651 https://gizmodo.com/apple-lets-you-scan-for-evil-airtags-tha...

Aaronn 5y ago

They have a speaker that plays a sound randomly every few hours when it hasn't been near the owner's device in a while. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227