Apple is announcing a new software update to its AirTags that will make it harder for third parties to track your device. Apple's $29 AirTags were originally designed to help people find lost items like keys and luggage. Sometimes that includes cars. But it seems that AirTags are often misused by criminals.
Since the product was released, there have been many reports that it was being used to track people instead of objects. To combat this type of tracking, Apple is making changes that limit the possibility of these devices being misused. The company stressed that in no way was the purpose of creating AirTags to track people or their assets. However, there was no mention of the date of updates for the iOS and iPadOS software, so we don't know when the malicious use of the device, but it is known that the change will be made gradually - through many updates.
Initially, Apple plans to add a warning about malicious use during device setup by users. This warning will also state that law enforcement agencies will have the right to request identifying information from the owner of the AirTag if someone believes they are being tracked by it. In the same update, the appearance of the “Unknown accessory detected” notification will also be limited. These notifications are usually received when we have spent some time near other people’s AirPods. If the iPhone or iPad detects that the questionable device is actually a pair of AirPods, Apple’s Find My app will recognize them as AirPods and not as “unknown” accessories.
Additionally, the company says that future software updates will make it easier for some users to become aware of AirTags. For example, people with iPhone 11 and later models will be able to use the Precision Finding feature in the Find My app, which uses the compass to find nearby AirTags that don't belong to them. The notification sound that is triggered by unknown AirTags by users who believe they are being tracked will also be louder in future updates.
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Additionally, currently, the AirTag starts making sounds and sending notifications to nearby phones after 8-24 hours away from its owner. However, Apple says that with the new update, notifications will be sent sooner than that.
As expected, Apple failed to mention the changes that would be made for Androids. While these changes will make it easier to find AirTags regardless of a person’s choice of smartphone, Apple’s Tracker Detect app for Android still requires users to manually search for nearby AirTags. This can make it difficult for Android users to reliably find the devices.
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Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity for the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, says she hopes Apple and Google will work together to equalize Android's AirTag detection capabilities with the iPhone.
Source: washingtonpost.com
