Did you receive an Apple AirTag as a Christmas gift? Then this is a must-read for you!
Technology
The Apple AirTag was invented by Apple as a technological solution for those of us who frequently lose our keys, wallet, purse, cellphone, etc. By simply popping the Bluetooth-enabled device inside your bag or elsewhere, Apple can alert you when you stray too far away from it or notify you of its location should it become lost or stolen.
Great idea, right? Well, initially…
Users began popping them into their wallets or attaching them to a pet or bike. Then, if the wallet or pet was lost or the bike was stolen, they could track the location and retrieve their missing/stolen item via modern technology.
However, for all the good it could do, there were instant drawbacks — and it didn’t take long for crooks to figure out how to use AirTags to their advantage.
Drop the device into the purse of an unsuspecting woman at a bar, then track her home and know the exact location of her address once she arrives there.
Stick an Apple AirTag to the underside of an expensive foreign car, then track the location of the car and steal it overnight right under the owner’s nose.
One woman found out the hard way how an Apple AirTag was being used against her.
While driving home alone one night around 2 am, Twitter user @Sega__JEANAsis (who goes by “Jeana”) received a notification from Apple on her cellphone which read: “AirTag Found Moving With You.” Because the roads were all empty and dark and there wasn’t another car in sight, she ignored it. Except, the notification popped up again and again.
Feeling spooked, she didn’t go to her own home that night. The next day, she and a friend found an Apple AirTag attached to the underside of her front passenger wheel and reported it to police.
Apple has since realized that AirTags can be weaponized by stalkers or abusive partners and has taken precautions to prevent a dangerous scenario.
“To discourage tracking without your knowledge, ‘Find My’ will notify you if an unknown AirTag or other Find My network accessory is seen moving with you over time. An AirTag that isn’t with the person who registered it for an extended period of time will also play a sound when moved so you can find it, even if you don’t use an iOS device,” the company said in a press release.
So, be mindful of the double-edged sword of the Apple AirTag. It can be a great and useful tool when applied as intended. Or, it could become your worst nightmare.
Apple has since realized that AirTags can be weaponized by stalkers or abusive partners and has taken precautions to prevent a dangerous scenario. […] -DJ
(Sigh!) And why was that highly probable possibility NOT considered BEFORE releasing it to the public!?!
Or worse, was it considered and Apple simply said…”We’ll worry about that IF and when it happens”…?
“The LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil” comes to mind…smh!