The AirTags are one of those devices that many of us were waiting for and that never finished being presented. In the end they are on the market and users are already testing them and seeing all their benefits but also the problems they have. A new report has shown today the privacy weaknesses that this device has presented and that have worried many users. We tell you all the details below.
Privacy issues with AirTags
Among the features of the AirTag, Apple wanted to highlight on numerous occasions the privacy protections that are included. Looking at the concept of this device it is easy to think that anyone can be tracked simply by placing such a device in someone’s bag or backpack. Although, the theory indicates that this is not possible due to the protection measures that are included. This is a serious problem especially when we talk about a couple in which there is gender violence. The fact that one person controls another is something very characteristic in these types of cases and that is why several groups of victims of gender abuse have wanted to sound the alarm.
The case at hand here mostly occurs when the person carrying a hidden AirTag does not use an iPhone, but an Android. The emphasis is placed on users who have an Android device because anyone who carries an AirTag on him that does not belong to the iPhone itself will notify them that they have an unpaired locator. Obviously this does not happen on an Android and if someone does not realize it, the location will be active for 3 days.
Regarding the 3 days, it should be noted that the AirTags have an internal clock of 72 hours that starts when it is separated from the paired iPhone. When this time expires, the device restarts and no longer offers any type of location. The problem is that when this tracking problem is occurring in a couple where they are being abused, the AirTag will always reset the counter since every night it will return to ‘meet’ the iPhone originally paired. In conclusion, it is explained as follows by the researchers:
An AirTag starts a three-day countdown clock on your alarm as soon as it is out of range of the iPhone it is paired with. Since many victims live with their abusers, the alert countdown could reset each night when the AirTag owner returns to range.
Apple should already work on the solution
The only alternative left to a person who has an AirTag in his bag and has an Android is to listen to the audible warning. Although these alerts can be easily disabled in Apple’s ‘Search’ application making the tracking constant. This is clearly a serious violation of people’s privacy and especially when it comes to a group of women or men who are mistreated by their corresponding partners and requires exhaustive control.
That is why after this information, which is undoubtedly quite serious, Apple must quickly find a solution. You cannot give instruments to abusive and controlling people to know the location of others without their consent and above all with great precision. In the future, Apple is expected to come up with a solution, such as a cooperation with Google, to also provide a warning system on Android when an unknown locator is carried.
