Apple announced on the 10th (US local time) that it will update in the future to reduce "unwanted tracking" (such as stalking abuse) by the forgotten tracker AirTag. There are some changes and they will be implemented in several stages.
Originally, AirTag is a product that you can attach to your belongings to make it easier to find, but recently there have been reports of stalking acts that sneak into other people's belongings and misuse by car thieves. Last month, a man who tried to use it for domestic violence was just arrested, testifying that the model woman had been tracked for about five hours.
First, Apple admits that it has "actively worked with law enforcement agencies" on AirTag-related requests. There, "AirTag is rarely abused," while "each case is too many."
In addition, all AirTags have a unique serial number and are associated with your Apple ID. He also emphasized that he succeeded in locating the criminal in cooperation with law enforcement agencies. It may be warning that misuse will surely lead to the exposure of wrongdoing.
It also plans to update documents for law enforcement agencies for AirTag and the "Search" network.
With that in mind, Apple's upcoming AirTag-related updates are:
New privacy warning while setting AirTag
During the AirTag setup, this product is for tracking your belongings, and there is a new message that "clearly shows" that tracking people without consent is a crime in many parts of the world. It is said that it will be displayed. The warning message also emphasizes that law enforcement agencies can request identification information (Apple ID) about the owner of AirTag.
Improved warning
It is said that the notification displayed on the iPhone will be greatly improved when a strange "search" compatible accessory is detected near you. Previously, only a vague warning "Unknown accessory was detected" was displayed, but it seems that it will be changed to a more specific display.
Also, when there was an AirPods series or a third-party "Find My" compatible product nearby, an "Unknown accessory" notification was displayed, but it seems that the accessory will be identified more accurately in the future. For example, if an unknown AirPods Pro is found, it will be clearly stated that "AirPods Pro has been detected".
"Find the exact location" update
If you see the warning message above, you'll be able to use the "Precision Finding" feature to locate unknown AirTags. Currently, this feature can only be used to find the AirTag associated with your Apple ID, but in the future it will be possible to pinpoint the distance and direction of someone's AirTag found nearby.
This feature is only available to iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 users (all with a built-in U1 chip), just like the original "find the exact location" feature.
AirTag Sound Improvements
Currently, AirTag will make a random sound for 8 to 24 hours after leaving the owner to announce its existence, but it is an update that will be enhanced.
In other words, if AirTag makes a sound automatically, it will also display a warning to nearby iPhones. In addition, users who receive the warning will be able to play the sound again or use the "find the exact location" function. Apple explains, "This is useful if the AirTag is in a hard-to-hear place or if the AirTag speaker has been tampered with."
Improved "Unwanted Tracking" alert feature
We will now update the "Unknown Accessory Detected" system to "notify users sooner that unknown AirTag or" Find "compatible accessories may be moving with you." It is said that.
Apple has more stalker protection systems built into AirTag than its competitors' products, but criminals can come up with ways to abuse it beyond the manufacturer's expectations. I would like to expect further enhancement of safety.
Source: Apple
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