Although Apple’s AirTags accessory comes with anti-stalking mechanisms for user safely, a new police report analysis has indicated that these features may not be working as expected all the time.
In a new report Wednesday, Motherboard shared the results of an analysis of 150 police reports across a recent eight-month period. Of those reports, less than half dealt with robbery or theft. The rest detailed harassment or stalking of women using an Apple AirTag.
Per the report, the women that were being stalked called the police in 50 cases because they started receiving anti-tracking notifications iPhones. In other cases, the women found AirTags hidden in their vehicles or heard the device beeping.
The majority of the cases involved former partners or exes, and many of the accused stalkers were identified after showing up in the same places as the women they were stalking.
Electronic tracking isn’t a new trend, and according to domestic violence community educator Mary Beth Becker-Lauth, location-based stalking is “as old as GPS technology itself.” Prior to Apple’s introduction of its AirTags, competitors like Tile trackers, which have been around for years, have only recently been outfitted with similar safety mechanisms.
According to Electronic Frontier Foundation cybersecurity director Eva Galperin, the uptick in reports of AirTag stalking suggest that Apple’s protections are working.
“So, yes, we did understand from the very beginning that this was going to be a major problem,” said Galperin. “But part of it I think is just reflected in the fact that stalking is a major problem. And that having the AirTag alert go off is actually something that a person can bring to the police as solid evidence, which sometimes they otherwise do not have.”
The report suggests that Apple’s AirTags accessory can make stalking easier given that they rely on the AirTag network that pings nearby Apple devices that have Bluetooth enabled to triangulate the location of a tracker.
Apple has recently announced a slate of additional features and changes to AirTags firmware intended to cut down on abuse.
Becker-Lauth added that police also have a responsibility to take stalking cases seriously. The onus is not on Apple alone to fix the problem, and it will take cooperation between tracker manufacturers, public safety organizations, and others to find a solution, believes Becker-Lauth.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Motherboard