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‘I was just scared’: Apple AirTags lead to stalking complaints

theguardian.com

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Re: ‘I was just scared’: Apple AirTags lead to stalking complaints

#71

Post by tinalumfoil »

multjoy wrote: post #68
tinalumfoil wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that these things beep and notify you make it just about impossible to use to track someone's movements without their knowledge, which isn't true with prior location tracking. Anybody using this nefariously would choose a device that doesn't make such tracking impossible. What's craziest about this outrage to me is, if the anti-stalking feature weren't there, the most an average Joe would be able to use this…

The reason apple have made it really easy to know if one's about is precisely to avoid the stalking issue. That's a deliberate design feature which actually removes some of the utility as a covert device to keep hold of your own stuff.

> The reason apple have made it really easy to know if one's about is precisely to avoid the stalking issue.

I agree. My point is that the only reason people are reading 'stalking' and 'AirTag' in the same sentence is a failure of Apple's marketing. If they just had those features and didn't try to paint a world where your neighbors are out to get you they wouldn't be having this problem.

Re: ‘I was just scared’: Apple AirTags lead to stalking complaints

#72

Post by alphabettsy »

JadoJodo wrote: post #45

In thinking aloud about this issue, I'm uncertain whether there's a solution other than to make AirTags costly or single-use: A. I lose my AirTag-equipped item in/on your bag/car/person. B. I “lose” my AirTag-equipped item in/on your bag/car/person. These are indistinguishable from one another without outside intervention. By making them expensive, Apple could raise the barrier to entry but would not stop someone fro…

Doesn’t making them expensive just move them closer to the price of trackers that are already available and have no mitigations in place while also making them less useful for the target audience?

Re: ‘I was just scared’: Apple AirTags lead to stalking complaints

#73

Post by josephcsible »

herio wrote: post #25
kgwxd wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think any of this is excellent news. I'm sure the beep can be easily dismantled, we've been through that with the required camera sound nonsense. And security/privacy conscious people keep Bluetooth and NFC off for security/privacy reasons.

There's articles all over the Internet on how to remove/disable the speaker on airtags. Doesn't look to hard to do either, no hardware sensing if this is the case so it just keeps on working.

> no hardware sensing if this is the case so it just keeps on working.

Even if there were, you could defeat it with just a resistor across the old speaker terminals.

Re: ‘I was just scared’: Apple AirTags lead to stalking complaints

#74

Post by dhosek »

conk wrote: post #33
dhosek wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We have an AirTag in our dog's collar which is registered to my wife's AppleID¹ The first walk I took with the dog after she put it on the dog, I got a notification about an unidentified AirTag (which included her email address and I think phone number) following me. ⸻⸻⸻ 1. My single big complaint about AirTags is that they can't be shared between Apple IDs. Presumably that will be changed in a future software upgrad…

This is my complaint too. There needs to be a way to share airtags with family members so they can also located missing items and they don’t get spammed with alerts. Without this option it’s just creating alert fatigue and will make users discredit real alerts.

There is the ability to mute notifications from particular items so I don't get an alert every time I walk the dog.

Re: ‘I was just scared’: Apple AirTags lead to stalking complaints

#75

Post by _g5q8 »

matwood wrote: post #21
_g5q8 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're in the same family account there's a button to turn off those alerts. It worked for my family.

That must be new because it want there a few months ago.

It appears when you get the first alert - click to silence it, and choose "indefinitely." That option only appears for Family devices.
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