Apple tweaks AirTags to be less useful for stalkers, thieves

Apple on Thursday said it is modifying its AirTag tracking devices to prevent them from being used for the wrong sort of tracking. AirTags ‒ Bluetooth-enabled discs that report their location – were announced last April to help people find lost keys, baggage, and other possessions capable of containing, or being tethered to, …

[PriorKnowledge]

One would almost call this planned…

To ensure you’re not being stalked, please buy a smartphone, which totally won’t be used for the very same purpose! Honest guv! We would never record what you say surreptitiously and without your consent, honest!

After all, what is an AirTag? It’s simply the tracker without the phone attached ;-)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: One would almost call this planned…

If someone slips a Tile in your gear you have no way of discovering that unless you manage to hit it just right so the beeper goes of. You will not get a warning after a few days, it will silently allow you to be tracked via the linking of other users running the Tile app until the battery runs out.

Other trackers exist, but Tile is the most prominent and well marketed one, which is why I find it interesting that nobody reporting on this even mentions them, especially in the land of origin.

[Nate Amsden]

Re: One would almost call this planned…

I read a comment at one point the person speculated the reason why airtags get a lot more attention is the network is much bigger than any of the other tracker networks, anyone with an iPhone? Don't need a special app installed(I believe). Vs something like Tile where as you say need an app installed, people who don't use Tile probably won't go out of their way to install the app for the purposes of helping others find their stuff.

Kind of surprised Samsung hasn't copied the airtag stuff yet, maybe they will soon. They seem to copy just about everything they can from Apple.

[unimaginative]

Re: One would almost call this planned…

Yes, an Airtag will pass lots of iphones, especially in urban areas so it will be tracked far more regularly than a Tile or anything else.

[doublelayer]

Re: One would almost call this planned…

"Kind of surprised Samsung hasn't copied the airtag stuff yet, maybe they will soon."

They have. It only works with Samsung phones, but it exists. It likely has similar issues; there's basically no way to implement reporting through other participant's devices without leaving the tracking option open. At best, you can get a warning about it if your device can recognize this.

[ShadowSystems]

Fun ways to kill one.

Drop it in a thick coffee mug full of water, stick it in the microwave, & nuke it until the mug runs dry.

Remove the battery, slather it in bacon grease, & feed it to the neighbor's dog.

Remove the battery, slather it in peanut butter, & fling it into the elephant pen at the zoo.

Remove the battery, slather it in bug puree, & slip it into the snake display at the zoo.

Take it to the garage, clamp it in a vice, & smash it with a hammer.

If you want to fek with the head of whomever snuck it on to you/your stuff, cover it in glitter & leave it where a Magpie can find it.

SuperGlue it to the inside wheelwell of a police car/ambulance/fire truck/emergency vehicle.

Tie it to a helium balloon & release it into the wind to drift off to god knows where at altitudes & speeds normally unobtainable by mere mortal Humans.

Hide it inside a banana & leave it where the gorillas/monkies/orangutangs will snatch it.

Slather it in your sister's favorite purfume & leave it where a Canadian moose might bite it...

=-)p

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Or take it to the police and explain someone threatened your life.

Do any of the above things and you are enabling that same person to track someone else, or steal something else. Ignore the problem - you contribute to the problem.

[ShadowSystems]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Dear AC.

The actions I suggested deprive the previous owner from collecting it, reclaiming it, & repurposing it for any other tracking task.

What part of "stick it in a vice & smash it with a hammer" would leave enough left to reuse?

What part of *microwaving it* would leave anything recognizable?

What part of "tie it to a helium balloon & let it fly away" would let them retrieve it from where-ever else in the world it would eventually land?

But, and this is the most important part of all, I *absolutely do not condone* going to the police & *knowingly, intentionally, & malisciously* file a false death threat claim that, when determined to have been false, intentional, & willfull would then make me guilty of purgery & up for a triple-large fine & jail time.

*Deep sigh*

I swear to Cthulhu's frilly knickers that I need to make a big, blinking, neon, 99 point, scrolling SARCASM tag as my default signature line for every fekkin post I make around here. JFC! GAAAAH!

[M.V. Lipvig]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

No need, The Reg alreaady provides. See icon

[Strahd Ivarius]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

easy:

lodge a complain against Tim Cook (if you are an Apple victim) since he is the one enabling tracking your location...

[Gene Cash]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

NO! Do not feed it to anything living! The batteries lead to a very nasty death.

[ShadowSystems]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Dear Gene.

Please re-read my post, especially the parts where I wrote "remove the batteries".

I'm sorry I forgot it on the last one, but when the first ones blatantly say not to do the very thing you're admonishing me not to do...

*Deep sigh*

Oh fuck it. Nevermind. I'll just start using a sig line on all my posts from now on.

::Inserts a 99point type, big, bold, italicized, underlined, neon bright, blinking, scrolling marquis SARCASM tag so you can't miss it::

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

That depends how long they're "inside".

Also, this is humour - we kinda assume that your presence here is an indication of the sort of common sense that would not do these things in real life unless sufficiently pissed off, and even then only with people, never with animals.

[TRT]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Insert it into the caramel bit of a mars bar and toss it to the rats that are living in the old cement works. Then put on your Apple Watch and project a holo-image of yourself whilst hiding behind a pillar ready to jump out and ambush your stalker.

[TRT]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

This. Second time today I've referred to this movie, oddly.

[Zolko]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

@ShadowSystems : you forgot step 1: "Find-it "

actually, you also forgot step 0: "Discover that there is something to be found without investing in Apple stuff, the very manufacturer of this criminal device ".

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

"Criminal" device? WTF?

So you won't drive Toyota either then because their vehicles are used by the Taliban?

Even a lockpick is not a criminal device - "criminal" is a human attribute, tied to "intent".

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

A device that has the only purpose of tracking victims is indeed criminal by definition

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

"A device that has the only purpose of tracking victims is indeed criminal by definition"

Awesome, so we're all in agreement that these AREN'T criminal by definition then? After all, tracting victims ISN'T the only purpose of them.

[ShadowSystems]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

At the AC, re: "criminal devices".

There is such a thing, it depends on the device, arresting officer, the prosecuting attorney, the judge, etc.

Arguing by absurdity: go ahead & carry that nuclear bomb through the airport security checkpoint & see how far the excuse "It's not criminal, I have only good intentions!" gets you. Hint: your Defense Attorney may slap the shit out of you for being so mind bogglingly stupid.

Yes, normally a tool is without criminal aspects, it depends on the intent of the user, but there are some devices that you honestly can't consider as anything BUT for evil/criminal intentions.

Nerve gas, a bag of powdered anthrax, installing mechanical arms on your car & fitting each one with a chainsaw, equipping a shark with a laser, etc etc etc.

*Hands you a pint*

Drink up. We can agree to disagree. =-J

[zuckzuckgo]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

>So you won't drive Toyota either then because their vehicles are used by the Taliban?

Toyota does not let the Taliban use MY Toyota. When criminals use AirTags to track a car it is likely using the car owner's iPhone to relay the location. It should be disabled by default with warnings about possible abuses when it is enabled.

[Zolko]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

I guess you're that same Anonymous Coward that is posting all over this thread to try damage-control on this criminal activity. Apple employee ? El Reg, can you check his (or hers) IP address, out of curiosity ?

"Criminal" device? WTF?

Apparently, these AirThings connect with bluetooth to all Apple devices in reach, and contact Apple through them. Even through Apple devices owned by other people, without knowledge, end even less consent, of the other device's owner. This is called hacking into other peoples computers, and yes, it's criminal: if, for example, you connected on a train into someone else's computer, and then through there, you connect to the Internet, this would be forbidden. But if you sold devices that do just that, by millions, you're operating a criminal network on internatiol scale.

Imagine someone was assaulted, or even killed, after being tracked by such a device. We're talking life-time prison here, so you should be very careful what you say anonymously.

[TRT]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Oh I'm sure that users HAVE consented. I'd try and find where they agreed but you know, hundreds of pages to go through and only a limited amount of time before work tomorrow.

[elbisivni]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

It appears as a screen when you set up a new device. It's quite clear.

Also, turning it off is a simple matter of going into the settings and turning it off under 'find my'.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Remove the battery, slather it in bacon grease, & feed it to the neighbor's dog.

In that case I think it would be more fun to leave the battery in it. The materials are thick enough to survive a journey through the dog's digestive tract and if the neighbour's dog roams the area it'll give the tag's owner some seriously weird data.

Note: only do this if it's certain it will not harm the dog, so choose a big one whose digestive tract produces the kind of out put that requires 2 liter doggie bags :).

[TRT]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Downvoted for not realising that the smaller the dog, the bigger the shit.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

I think you're all wrong.

As are Apple themselves:

For those who discover an unexpected AirTag in a coat pocket, purse, or taped to a car, Apple advises removing the battery to stop it from transmitting.

You don't want to stop it from transmitting, you need it to transmit. Say for example it's on your nice, stealable car. Then the tag needs to be taken to a nice lonely carpark, the sort of place that the thieves might think a good opportunity. Then the next step is up to you and your ingenuity. Landmines, attack dogs, high voltage electricity... The possibilities are endless.

The last article I read was the BOfH, can you tell?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fun ways to kill one.

Stick it in an envelope addressed to an Apple store. No stamp needed. It'll get tracked through the postal service and then probably disposed of in a responsible manner.

Plenty of useless data for the person intending to do the tracking and no risk to any animals.

[Ace2]

“Keep in mind that this is the company…”

What an idiot. All companies comply with legal requests; that’s how you get to continue being a company.

[John Doe 12]

" All companies comply with legal requests"

That's some good stuff you are smoking there ha ha!

[Potemkine!]

I've got an Eiffel tower to sell. You seem to me the perfect guy to be interested to buy it at a discounted price. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, don't miss it!

[Anonymous Coward]

Really? So you would not comply with a Court Order in support of a criminal investigation?

You won't be in business for long then.

[zuckzuckgo]

Apple, Microsoft etc will and have fought court orders that they don't like. They have enough money and lawyers to win or at least delay ordered actions.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah, but then you follow the proper process for it - and if you lose, you still end up with the same choice: comply or face the consequences, some of which could be ugly.

Now I would agree with you that a company should fight orders they're not happy with (which is unfortunately in some countries not given to the small guys due to costs), but not complying with a court order (however long it took to run out the legal process) is not advisable if you want to keep your company.

Ask the guy who ran Lavabit, for instance.

[TRT]

That's just a big old aerial for a tracking device.

[W.S.Gosset]

"Air Revoir"

[Anonymous Coward]

The point is, it's possible to provide a service like this, without Apple being able to track it. Imagine each device comes with a secure private key, that when paired with your iphone, stores it on your iphones secure enclave. The device encrypts its location and sends updates via the mesh network with a public key hash, but that location can only be decrypted by the iphone it's associated to. Apples response to any legal demand should be 'sure, here's a copy of the encrypted locations associated with that tag. We have no technical means of decrypting them into an actual location'. If they were a company that actually respects privacy, that is.

[Anonymous Coward]

But the point is not that Apple can track an iPhone, the point is that any criminal with an iPhone and an AirTag can tag a car at the mall then track it to the owners house to steal it in the middle of the night. Or a would be stalker can drop an AirTag in a purse at a bar to track someone back to their home.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

If you have an iProduct or the app on a Google gadget it will warn you if there is a tag following you.

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder how long it takes for that warning to show up, because that gives you an idea of your exposure. I also wonder how it can ignore any tags discovered by the phone from, for instance, an adjacent apartment.

[Mayday]

Remove the Battery

"For those who discover an unexpected AirTag in a coat pocket, purse, or taped to a car, Apple advises removing the battery to stop it from transmitting."

At least one of their products has a removable/replaceable battery.

[Robert Carnegie]

Re: Remove the Battery

I haven't investigated, but all they're saying here is removable. One time.

[Neil Brown]

Re: Remove the Battery

While your scepticism is entirely understandable, the AirTag uses a standard CR2032, and one unscrews the battery cover, and replaces the old battery with a new one.

[Strahd Ivarius]

Re: Remove the Battery

you don't need an iScrew to do that?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Remove the Battery

I think the iScrew'ed is part of the purchase experience.

[Robert Carnegie]

Re: Remove the Battery

Thank you. But, does that come rechargeable? Not when I last looked. I was sort of imagining a wireless charged tag for your key ring, etc.

Also in things I don't know about those batteries... My weighing scale stopped working, said "Low". I inserted "new" battery pair at room temperature despite finding packet was out of date. Result, nothing at all. I think I didn't put the old ones back in... but I tried later, it's working now. Do they need oxygen for... instance?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Remove the Battery

Were this poundshop 2032 batteries?

Often removing/replacing the battery will clean the contacts and fix it for a while

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Remove the Battery

At least one of their products has a removable/replaceable battery.

*All* products have a removable battery, so long as you use the correct battery removal tool These are widely available from a number of manufacturers including, but not limited to, Black & Decker, DeWalt, Bosch and Makita. Personally - and if your budget can stretch to it - I recommend Stihl.

[Dinanziame]

Re: Remove the Battery

You must have missed the numerous articles about various phones and laptops, often made by Apple, where the batteries are glued to the electronics and seem designed to make battery changes impossible...

[Ken Hagan]

Re: Remove the Battery

No, but I think you missed his selective quoting (omission of "replaceable").

[innominatus]

"did not respond to a request by The Register"

well colour me surprised

[Neil Barnes]

I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

I mean, love 'em or hate 'em, Apple aren't stupid.

How can they have been so focused on the 'find stuff' use case that they ignored the 'track people' use case? Or did they just think, oh, people are so nice to each other, no-one would *ever* do that?

Incidentally: presumably if you have an Apple device it will be updated so that it will detect the presence of one of these things and alert the device owner (hmm, I wonder how that works in the case of a household with multiple Apple devices?) but are we in now a situation where it will be necessary for users of other devices to install an application just to know if there's one in the neighbourhood?

[NATTtrash]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

I think we have to consider the fact not how we, users see and use this product, but how they see it.

No doubt this is for Apple what they call a "portfolio strengthening product". In practice this means they don't care about it, on the P&L it's even allowed to cost money instead of make profit. It's main purpose is solely (for them) to pull people into the Apple eco-system, so they buy those other (focus) products (with decent profit margins). I have no fruity stuff, but I suspect that this only works with Apple appliances? And thus focussed on that main objective, this tracking issue becomes totally unimportant, since it is a "throw away" product in the Apple portfolio any way. Since it is a portfolio add on which can be discontinued at the drop of a hat without consequences. Marketing 101.

[Zolko]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

It's main purpose is solely (for them) to pull people into the Apple eco-system

hold-on: you mean that the purpose of this thing is to force people to buy Apple stuff by endangering their life if they don't use Apple stuff ? This is criminal.

Not that I expect being the target of a stalker, but how would I know ? Seriously : how can I be sure ? And don't mention the Android AirTag app, I might not be using an Android phone. Genuine question.

[Strahd Ivarius]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

this is not criminal, this is capitalism...

as for insurances companies for example ("you have a nice house, what would happen if it was not insured against fire?") in their earliest history (now they bought enough politicians to ensure that there are laws making insurance policies mandatory in lot of case)

[Zolko]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

I'm more surprised/worried that legal authorities have allowed this device on the market: after-all, if it's emitting electromagnetic waves, they must have gone through some certification process. These things should be forbidden.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

Really? Bluetooth proximity tages of various brands have been on the market for years, but those were OK then for you?

[Strahd Ivarius]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

if you except cheap Chinese knock off, you can be sure that they have been certified (in civilized countries, don't know about the USA).

if not, you are free to complain.

[Zolko]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

Bluetooth proximity tags of various brands have been on the market for years, but those were OK then for you?

How could someone follow me at distance with a bluetooth proximity tag that has only some 10m reach ?

The more I read about these the more criminal they seem: do they use bluetooth to broadcast through nearby iPhones, whose owner doesn't even know that his phone is (ab)used in such a way ? Is that how these AirTags operate, by hijacking unsuspecting iPhones users ?

[DevOpsTimothyC]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

Receive GPS and then phone home with a 2g cellular connection. I'm sure there are ALOT of similar devices on the market that do similar, however I'd guess they are all of a more clandestine nature without the polish that apple have added to make it more accessible on their website

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

How can they have been so focused on the 'find stuff' use case that they ignored the 'track people' use case? Or did they just think, oh, people are so nice to each other, no-one would *ever* do that?

They did that because Tile has been selling these things for years (and still do, btw) and nobody batted an eyelid even though those do NOT come with any measures to protect privacy (I should know, I replaced quite a few of them with AirTags and I fought quite a major battle to stop their app from running without my permission - as I stated elsewhere, they really use every trick in the book to restart their app if you quit it such as notifications and permanent location access). Now Apple does it it's all of a sudden important and - this is what I find REALLY interesting - nobody bothers to ask Tile what they're doing to protect people which I deem fairly bad journalism.

It's almost like we're looking at a campaign mounted by Tile investors to protect their business, and the press is happy to go along with it.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

I guess the difference is that Tile don't control the iOS operating system. So aren't able to leverage a billion devices to operate their global spy network, without the device owners' knowledge or permission.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

I would agree with you that Apple leveraged their network here, I disagree with you that this is to run a spy operation. There are other US companies that do that, and Apple has been frequently at loggerheads with them.

Remember, it's Apple that recently forced Zuck to short his own stock (at least, that's what I expect from a sociopath who deems himself above the rules - he'd just order someone else to do it).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

"I disagree with you that this is to run a spy operation."

It isn't just Apple's network, it's also Apple enabling their devices to spy on look for the devices of others, regardless of the network. I'm not sure if I owned an iPhone that I would want my iPhone always on the look out for other peoples devices... what does a spy do again?

FYI, the BT to BT communication is device-to-device, not device-to-mothership-to-device.... it's basically a line of sight reporting mechanism that forwards that info to the capital "network". When you're reaching into someones bag to validate their device, just make sure you're wearing your bright red arm band to let them know you're on the "good side".

Weekend project: run around grabbing peoples tags claiming they're lost/stolen because my iPhone says so.

[doublelayer]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

"I fought quite a major battle to stop their app from running without my permission - as I stated elsewhere, they really use every trick in the book to restart their app if you quit it such as notifications and permanent location access)."

Which, although unpleasant, makes a lot of sense for their users. They want the app running so you can use the features of the product, like the send a signal to find your phone feature. You have said this before, and it doesn't make sense any of the times, as if you don't want the app to have the access necessary to use the product, you should probably uninstall the app. AirTags are exactly the same except the tricks to keep it running are baked into IOS. That doesn't make Apple worse, just also doing it. At least Tile can argue that their customers opted into the app as it only does any of that after you install the app, log in, and accept the permission requests. Apple's system has all of the permissions and requires you to opt out in the settings.

[Dave 126]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

I'm working on the assumption that had anybody wanted to track my movements by means of a small hardware bug in the last decade, they would have had plenty of options. Firstly, designed-to-be sneaky devices, including GPS trackers and radio beacons, and secondly, consumer Bluetooth trackers such as from Tile, Samsung, pet collars, etc.

So, that leads to the questions: Do these Apple AirTags make such illicit tracking more convenient for the bad actor than pre-existing devices?

I'm guessing 'maybe', but only by degrees. Networks that use many people's phones to locate a specific Bluetooth tracker predate Apple's implementation of the same concept. Of course, just the sheer density of iPhones in the wild might be that Apple's virtual network can provide better coverage of Bluetooth trackers than those of Tile, Samsung Trackr, Alibaba etc

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

They make it a lot easier, pop into an apple store, walk out with the trackers, or order online have them delivered. Standard consumer product the can use any nearby apple device to send its location as opposed to specialist equipment lowers the barrier of entry to being a dangerous skumbag.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

It also substantially lowered the barrier to my camera gear flight cases be trackable, and all that without paying an extra monthly fee or having to use a website where Privacy Badger finds no less than 10 trackers.

Notably, I also own a crow bar, but I use that for building work despite a lot of them being used for burglaries..

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

"Do these Apple AirTags make such illicit tracking more convenient for the bad actor than pre-existing devices?"

Yes. Disregarding the politics of it all, they further the mesh (regardless of spying) by filling a gap between where GPS can't locate and/or has low accuracy and where the camera is on, but there is bad/no lighting for the camera. If you visualize it, a cheap effective option (have to assume spying here :-/) is a camera taking a picture with GPS enabled to tag coordinates, but if either of those fail, these tags might be a better option. To further things, since these are device to device, it WILL BE YOUR battery powered device that does the data gathering/tracking of others peoples devices, even with no immediate network. Lastly, these things basically only work if there is a line of sight, or in other words, "I have visual confirmation" (which is > GPS_ony but < camera+GPS). This is how they are designed to work... it's a little nuts.

Is it "OMG!" worse? Well these things simply further the concrete process of creating a non-stop civilian device tracking system. It is probably to track civilians (I fully believe that), but realistically unless you put one of these things on your keychain, then they're almost useless outside of following where you travel to and that can be tracked anyways (at least internationally). Also the range on them is shit too. Anything Bluetooth is damn near line of sight but, what makes them stand out to me is how small they are, which could come in handy for non-Apple intended projects, although they are VERY overpriced for what they are. If you don't mind slightly bigger, you can get the same thing on AliExpress for 10x less (literally 10x less, no sarcasm... possibly 20x less if you can find free shipping).

[iron]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

The reality distortion field defies all intelligence or stupidity.

[NoneSuch]

Re: I'm still trying to understand how Apple failed even to consider this use case

"I mean, love 'em or hate 'em, Apple aren't stupid."

No, just greedy.

[Richard 12]

So to clarify

In order to detect that I may be being stalked or tracked, I have to add myself to the stalking network?

So to protect myself, I must put all those around me at greater risk?

Think different, indeed...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: So to clarify

Remember when Facebook suggested that to prevent your nudes being leaked you should upload all your nudes to Facebook?

https://www.theregister.com/2017/11/10/facebook_nude_photos_explained/

[Richard 12]

Re: So to clarify

I expected that from Facebook. It is after all how it started.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: So to clarify

Well, have a look at what Google recommends you do to stop them tracking you.

No, they don't listen to Do Not Track, no, you would have to INSTALL something from them. Personally I think it's their way of checking how stupid you really are.

[Alumoi]

Re: So to clarify

They KNOW how stupid you are, that's why they suggest it.

[Pascal Monett]

What the hell ?

"they transmit alert notifications to let nearby iPhone users know someone else's active AirTag is, unbeknownst to them, reporting its location"

And just who decided that that was a good idea ? Why should I care that someone put an AirTag in their luggage ? What right do I have to know that ?

Technology : it's not because you can that you should.

[Alan_Peery]

Re: What the hell ?

The description was missing the "and the iPhone of the person owning the tag hasn't been near the AirTag in question".

[Richard 12]

Re: What the hell ?

So stalking your partner is just fine, according to Apple?

Further enabling abusive and controlling relationships are the number one risk of these things. Even more likely than tracking a car before stealing it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What the hell ?

Well no, because that's a tag not owned by the stalkee and that will thus result in it signalling its presence.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What the hell ?

They'll see the stalker every day.

Try to keep up.

[Ken Hagan]

Re: What the hell ?

In some unhealthy relationships, it probably *is* the stalkers device and the stalkers tag, at least for billing purposes.

[Zolko]

Re: What the hell ?

You mean that all iPhones know all the iPhones in the vicinity ? How do they do that ?

[TRT]

Re: What the hell ?

By ejecting tagged covid particles?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What the hell ?

And just who decided that that was a good idea ?

Ever heard of Tile?

[Androgynous Cupboard]

Re: What the hell ?

I presume you're the same AC whose mentioned Tile several times above.

Question for you: do Tile devices piggyback over any iPhones in the vicinity to get a location sent back to the server, without requiring those phones to be running a Tile App? No? So, I wonder if you could explain why putting a Tile in someone else's pocket would be for tracking a stranger to where they live then?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What the hell ?

1 - Tile goes out of its way to keep their app running. They have a financial motive for this: that's how the Premium (pay monthly) service works. That also means Tile gets to process that data, and as yet there is zero indication how Tile handles personal data. We do know this about Apple.

2 - Tile piggybacks not only over iPhones, but also over Android. I have no idea if they game the Android OS as much as they tried iOS to keep their app running once started, but it seems safe to assume they do. This means we have no actual idea of their coverage, and I am certain you will never get that data if you ask either.

I think it's just safe to conclude you should not feel safer with Tile, also because you will find not a single bit of advice on their site about how to prevent being tracked by one. As a matter of fact, app and device privacy concerns are not addressed in any shape or form by Tile. Try searching the site for "privacy" or "stalking"..

The one argument I *would* agree with is that Apple should have asked people, but it depends a bit on your view of functionality - the Find Me network was originally to locate lost and stolen devices as they are expensive, and airtags piggyback on this. That's a conditional that could be debated, but the whole palaver about tracking is about four years too late - that should have happened when bluetooth trackers started to appear in the first place.

[Androgynous Cupboard]

Re: What the hell ?

Running on what? I haven't installed it and I see no reason why anyone would unless they have Tile hardware themselves. Which means a tile in someone random pocket is orders of magnitude less likely to be able to call home with a location than an Airtag, which can piggyback over any iOS device.

I have no grief with either system, but the difference in the install base means it's - forgive me - comparing apples and oranges.

[Headley_Grange]

Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

Apple were very nice when it came to letting me stop Facebook tracking me by opting out of sharing my information. Presumably the next iOS update will give me the option to opt out of having unknown devices connect to my phone anonymously and use my bandwidth to transmit tracking data?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

That functionality has been part of iOS for a while now:

Settings - Apple ID - "Find My"

Select "Find my phone" and toggle "Find My network" to off.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

Ah yes, the usual fucking weaselly options given you by scummy tech companies!

An option buried several layers into an obscure menu. And not say in the privacy or location bits where you'd expect it.

An option not labelled or explained about what the "find my" network does. Or the implications of being turned on.

And most of all the clever use of a fucking creepy permission with something useful. If you want the function to find your iPhone, you have to have the "find my" network turned on - which is of course the thing the permission is labelled as. Cunningly not mentioning the other use of it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

Yes, the conniving sods at Apple have hidden it so deep that a Google search for advice will immediately find it on both Apple's own sites as well as plenty tech sites who have not been sued yet for making it known that such a facility exists.

Als the sheer placement of it - daring to put in a menu item named after the very application you'd use to find an Air Tag. The evil b*stards, hang the lot of them.

In case you need help with this (as it appears you really do), this is sarcasm.

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

In case you need help with this (as it appears you really do), this is sarcasm.

I don't require assistance understanding sarcasm. Apparently however, you're not so blessed when it came to comprehending my post.

My complaints, that you chose to lightly mock, rather than actually engage with, were that Apple had put an important privacy and location based option, in a separate section of their menu. Which to be fair has become an absolute mess over the life of iOS - so this need not be conspiracy - it could just be random incompetence. But nonetheless they already have location and privacy menus available to add it to.

My next complaint was that they had deliberately mislabelled the option. Which you ignored. Presumably because you'd no answer to that, and even sarcasm couldn't get you out of it.

And my third complaint was that they'd tied something you want switched on (the ability to track a lost iPhone/iPad) to a permission to enable a global network involving the billion or more devices they've sold which Apple have created without bothering to go to the trouble of asking the permission of the owners of the hardware (and data) they've decided to use to create said network.

Is your sarcasm looking so clever now? Perhaps you'd like to actually engage with the discussion in your next post?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

Nah :)

[Sandtitz]

Re: Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

"And my third complaint was that they'd tied something you want switched on (the ability to track a lost iPhone/iPad) to a permission to enable a global network involving the billion or more devices they've sold which Apple have created without bothering to go to the trouble of asking the permission of the owners of the hardware (and data) they've decided to use to create said network."

Technically, Apple hasn't automatically enabled the feature unless you are using Apple ID and therefore iCloud. Which is ~100% of users... It also requires iOS 13 or later so iPhone 6 and earlier models won't participate. Perhaps still a billion+ devices.

It's mentioned there in Ts & Cs. Of course, who reads those?

Still, you can disable the Find My Network option in the settings and rely on the older Find My Phone function if you like - which doesn't rely on BT proximity and beehive connectivity. I've disabled the Network option since I have no use for it, and because I believe it overrides a disabled BT setting (always on? periodical bursts?) - how else would it work?

[I ain't Spartacus]

Re: Good Old Apple Will Have My Back

There's an old Cold War joke about Soviet diplomacy. What's our is ours, and what's yours is negotiable.

And I feel that this is where we now are with the big tech companies. Infringe their bizarre patents for round corners, and face the wrath of the attack lawyers. But just because you paid for that phone/tablet/PC and are paying the costs of the electricity and data to run it - doesn't mean that they don't feel they have the right to run software on your system for their convenience. Soemtimes they go too far and have to blame a junior engineer or a "software bug" for stealing too much of your data - but they never apologise for sneakily installing the spyware in question on your device without permission and using your processor cycles and data as freely as they like.

I'm not saying it isn't sometimes useful. Use Google satnav and they harvest your location data to estimate your speed and so give other users reasonably accurate traffic data. Everyone harvesting the WiFi network names and GPS locations from peoples' portable devices gives us much faster GPS locking time. But both also give Apple and Google the ability to track us 24/7.

And these things are often small time savings (in the case of traffic saving Google the cost of paying for available roadside traffic data) - but at unknown longer-term costs. If they'd had to ask permission first, then maybe after asking whether they could, they'd also have had to ask whether they should...

[Dan 55]

Precision Stalking

Later this year, there will be more changes. Precision Finding will make it easier to locate the precise location of a concealed AirTag. And those with recent model iPhones (11+) will be able to see both the direction and distance of an unknown AirTag when in range.

Top tip: When digging your own hole, it's best not to swap over from a spade to an excavator.

[Anonymous Coward]

Meanwhile, total silence from Tile..

I find it fascinating that the one company that at least puts some effort in thinking about these problems always gets it in the neck whilst outfits like Tile(.com) who have been selling these gadgets far longer (and, from my own experience, use pretty much every trick in the book to keep their app active when you try to close it) are not even asked to comment..

[First Light]

Re: Meanwhile, total silence from Tile..

Kashmir Hill (whose report in the NY Times apparently affected the timing of this announcement from Apple) did ask Tile and got the following comment:

“Tile is designed to help people find their things, not for tracking people.” [Tile spokesman Coriell] said using a Tile like this violates the terms of use and “can result in a permanent ban from Tile.”''

A lifetime ban from Tile is no good if the victim is dead because the user tracked them with it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/technology/airtags-gps-surveillance.html

[dl]

I’m still a bit puzzled why being stalked by these things only became an issue when apple launched them.

I mean the tile trackers have been available for years now and make no attempt to let you know it’s been slipped in your bag, but not a peep about being stalked by them.

For the price of the AirTags you can pick up a tiny gsm tracker on aliexpress or like anyway if you really want to be a stalker.

[Strahd Ivarius]

Tile trackers contact only other Tile trackers, when Apple AirTags contact all iPhones and Macs in range.

So far easier to track.

[Anonymous Coward]

Correction - Tile trackers contact all other phones where their application has managed to keep itself running, but you pay a monthly premium to access that information - oh, and there is absolutely NO attention paid to privacy or the protection against misuse. If you want to stick a Tile in your ex's handbag, go ahead, Tile will gladly sell you a super slim one that is harder to detect than the fairly obvious blob of an Air Tag.

Basically, Apple have done what Tile tried to do but didn't have the coverage for, AirTags are much cheaper than what Tile cooks up, you don't need to bleed every month to be able to use them and they have at least paid some attention to potential misuse.

Last but not least, you can re-assign ownership of an AirTag so you can sell/give it to someone else. Good luck trying that with a Tile.

In other words, Apple completely shot their business model, which is why I find entertaining to watch the press clealy unwittingly play along with a fairly transparent attempt to protect what's left of their business.

[Zolko]

Apple AirTags contact all iPhones and Macs in range

wait wait wait .... WHAT ? If I have a Mac or iPhone, I'm automatically part of that scam network ? Apple can use my computer or phone for their use at their convenience ?

[Piro]

Yes, that's how AirTags work.

[DevOpsTimothyC]

I’m still a bit puzzled why being stalked by these things only became an issue when apple launched them.

Marketing by a large well known company.

I hadn't heard of Tile before, but then I'm not looking for this sort of thing. It's not a difficult concept so IF I ever needed to do this sort of tracking I'd have done a google search. I'd have also expected it to be a niche thing so would have expected the cost and effort to be unreasonable. I'd also expect each one to have a serial number so if it was found doing bad things then the sale would be tracked to me.

With Apple making them I expect them to be easy to get and priced to sell by the handful at the apple store without providing any personal details. I'd also expect to be able to buy them with cash or a rechargeable credit card (that could be topped up with cash) and use a disposable account to track them

[Anonymous Coward]

With Apple making them I expect them to be easy to get

Yup, now they're just on hooks in the shop in single units and packs of four

and priced to sell by the handful

Well, that is not exactly a prominent expectation for Apple gear *cough*, but in this case they're indeed quite affordable. I suspect their actual price was set by the nearest competitor, Tile, who have just expanded the range of shapes in which their trackers come, including some very slim ones which will be far harder to detect than the Apple blobs, also because Tile does not have any facilities to detect unknown tags, nor will they start to beep after two days.

I guess surrepticious tracking people is thus about the only thing left for the Tile business model. For everything else, there are air tags :).

[Anonymous Coward]

Air tags are also more useful - you can set the detection so it warns you if you leave them behind but in a manner that it doesn't do so if it's at a location known to you. For instance, if you have them in your luggage you can set it so it doesn't remind you when you leave the hotel or when it's at home, but the moment it moves without you being present you'll get an alert as soon as it gets near someone with an Apple device.

Also, when you've set one to "lost" the Find Me app does a fairly good job of getting you near it, switching from location data to bluetooth scanning once you're close enough.

All in all, the functionality they offer was a convincer. I don't have (nor want) people to track, but I have enough gear and I travel enough to make adding air tags here and there worth the investment.

[tonyyaman]

We live in a world where most things will be used bye the wrong people no matter what you try to do to stop it these people will always do it cos they can and the consequences are not going to make any difference

[Helcat]

It seems someone has missed the BBC article on this.

Apple are also looking at notifying people if there's an AirTag in their vicinity - one that might be in use to track them.

This is automatic if you have an iPhone, or you need to download the Android version of the app.

Hopefully this is just using the bluetooth signal to determine the AirTag is close by, and remains so as you move around. However, you're putting Apple's App on your phone - what's the betting it needs to track your location, too. After all, it might want to compare your location to that of near by AirTags to see if they're following you...

So yes - sounds like they're trying to do something about the illegal use, but there's a question over if they're also gathering information on people while doing so.

[TRT]

Well I guess if it's been placed to track people then it require gathering information about people. If it's been placed to track your dog or your cat or your handbag then it'll be gathering information on those things too.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I definitely do not want Apple to know I have a handbag :)

[TRT]

Purse for our American viewers... And if Apple know you have a purse (or wallet) they'll try to empty it. OK, for some they try to empty it by making cool stuff that you want, for others they try to empty it by rinsing you - it depends on your view of Apple!

[TomPhan]

Still missing the most requested feature

AirTags are associated with one Apple ID, so they can't be shared. If something goes missing then only that person can try to find it, so for anything that you share and have a tag on (pets and children are the two most mentioned) you'll have to hope the right person is nearby.

The "solutions" Apple have suggested is for everyone to use the same Apple ID (and then saying Apple IDs shouldn't be shared either) or using multiple AirTags.

[Anonymous Coward]

Dig a shallow bush grave

Bury the tag just under the surface.

Add a marker “In memory of privacy”

[brainwrong]

speaker

"Apple also intends to address maliciously silenced AirTag speakers by surfacing an alert in its iDevices that's accompanied by a sound."

I don't know what the second half of that sentence means, but it won't be any help to me, not having a smartphone.

I don't get why it is even possible to silence them. A piezo transducer would surely be more efficient (within it's frequency range) than a voice-coil, and can only be disabled by cutting wires, which the driver circuit could be designed to detect. A tampered device should not work as a tracker.

They should be designed to sound near continuously when they are set into tracking mode, the sound should continue after tracking mode has been remotely disabled and only be reset by physical access to the device, or a flat battery.

[Ropewash]

Shock

I cannot be the only one amazed by the fact that Apple just admitted to making a product with a removable battery.

[jollyboyspecial]

All this Find My stuff is legally questionable.

So you have a phone and you pay for the data it uses. Apple's Find My service can use your data allocation (albeit a small amount) to benefit other people. Apple should not be able to use your phone to find other people's stuff without your specific opt in. Of course they don't want to do that because only the people who want to use the service will opt in and they wouldn't be able to make money from Air Tags if the majority of iphone users didn't opt in. When considering these "services" from the likes of Apple always remember that they put making money ahead of any legal or moral considerations.

And finally you'll note that they are doing the typical big business thing of blaming others for their services being used for nefarious reasons. Bad actors are misusing the system. Well appart from the fact they I don't see how they can blame Sean Bean or Vin Diesel there is are simple solutions to this. One is technical and simple - if the tag is moving and constantly in range of one device then that looks like a potential misuse of the service, so stop sending location reports. The other is is even simpler - stop selling the fuckers and switch off the service.