This Is How Apple Plans To Tackle AirTags Abuse And Stalking Problem

In a bid to increase the privacy of AirTags after several reports of stalking, Apple has announced changes to how the AirTag works.

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New Delhi: In a bid to increase the privacy of AirTags after several reports of stalking, Apple has announced changes to how the AirTag works. The changes are being made in the software of AirTag and iPhone in a way that a message will be displayed while setup "that using AirTags to track people is a crime in many regions globally".  

"Apple has been working closely with various safety groups and law enforcement agencies. Through our own evaluations and these discussions, we have identified even more ways we can update AirTag safety warnings and help guard against further unwanted tracking," Apple said in a statement late on Thursday.

"In an upcoming software update, every user setting up their AirTag for the first time will see a message that clearly states that AirTag is meant to track their own belongings, that using AirTag to track people without consent is a crime in many regions around the world, that AirTag is designed to be detected by victims, and that law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the AirTag," the iPhone maker added.

Another update that the Cupertino, California-based tech giant is rolling out is Precision Finding that will point iPhone users to unknown AirTags when they are close by. This update will be introduced later this year.

Explaining the Precision Finding feature, the company noted: "This capability allows recipients of an unwanted tracking alert to locate an unknown AirTag with precision. iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 users will be able to use Precision Finding to see the distance and direction to an unknown AirTag when it is in range. As an iPhone user moves, Precision Finding fuses input from the camera, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope to guide them to the AirTag through a combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback."

It should be noted that this is the tech giant's most significant attempt at trying to check stalking and other misuses since it went on sale in April, 2021.