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> Apple apparently didn’t put much thought into how its AirTag location tracking discs could be misused by stalkers and domestic abusers. I’d say this is not r

> Apple apparently didn’t put much thought into how its AirTag location tracking discs could be misused by stalkers and domestic abusers. I’d say this is not really accurate. Apple chose to put detection and warnings in place for when an AirTag is potentially moving with someone without their knowledge, and they had these in place from day 1. Sure, they could have done a better job (especially when it comes to other platforms like Android, which have taken time for Apple to get caught up on), but it’s a stretch to say they didn’t put thought into it. If anything, they could have kept much more quiet about it rather than put tools into place which help detect abuse, but also raise awareness and call attention to it. They made a choice, and the right one at that. Meanwhile there are plenty of electronic devices available which can be used for stalking purposes and can be bought very cheaply on Amazon (no, I won’t link to any) and give no such warnings from any apps when they are unexpectedly traveling with someone. These are much cheaper and much harder to detect. If someone is genuinely concerned about such abuse of technology that should be equally called out along with Apple. Of course that might not get as much attention as going after a visible company like Apple, but it nevertheless deserves the same level of concern.

xpressvideoz 5y ago
Those stalking devices might be harder to detect, but are they as effective as AirTag? IIRC the innovation behind AirTag is that they don't require network connectivity. The devices you mentioned might require cellular network or WiFi, and the former is linked to the criminal's identity and the latter is not available everywhere.
- nomel 5y ago
  AirTags do require network activity for the location to be make its way back to your phone, with that network activity provided by another Apple device, rather than the tag itself. And, each AirTag must be linked to an Apple account. If you find an AirTag, hold your phone near and it will give you the full serial number and the last four digits of the phone number associated with it. I’m sure Apple has all sorts of additional information, related to that account, that could be given to the authorities.
rosndo 5y ago
> Apple apparently didn’t put much thought into how its AirTag location tracking discs could be misused by stalkers and domestic abusers. Yeah, that’s a crazy allegation. It’s really obvious to anyone familiar with the product that Apple put a lot thought of thought into this. Their solutions might not have been perfect, but anti-abuse was clearly a top priority for the airtag team.

xpressvideoz 5y ago

Those stalking devices might be harder to detect, but are they as effective as AirTag? IIRC the innovation behind AirTag is that they don't require network connectivity. The devices you mentioned might require cellular network or WiFi, and the former is linked to the criminal's identity and the latter is not available everywhere.

nomel 5y ago
AirTags do require network activity for the location to be make its way back to your phone, with that network activity provided by another Apple device, rather than the tag itself. And, each AirTag must be linked to an Apple account. If you find an AirTag, hold your phone near and it will give you the full serial number and the last four digits of the phone number associated with it. I’m sure Apple has all sorts of additional information, related to that account, that could be given to the authorities.

rosndo 5y ago

> Apple apparently didn’t put much thought into how its AirTag location tracking discs could be misused by stalkers and domestic abusers. Yeah, that’s a crazy allegation. It’s really obvious to anyone familiar with the product that Apple put a lot thought of thought into this. Their solutions might not have been perfect, but anti-abuse was clearly a top priority for the airtag team.