Of course, many in this thread clearly aren’t reading the article… that’s step 1 for having the necessary context!
FWIW, the article provides concrete suggestions for how to improve the product from an anti-stalking pov:
From there, though, Apple doesn’t provide as much help as it could to people trying to locate an AirTag hidden in their belongings. One button in the Find My app lets you make the offending AirTag play a sound, but this often didn’t work for me. (Perhaps I wasn’t quite close enough to the AirTag or there was interference?) But none of the other Find My app functions for AirTag owners to find their own stuff — like measures of the distance between the iPhone and the AirTag — are available to unwanted tracking victims. Potential victims need those tools, too.
To be fair even the summary of the article here MR says the article talks about wider issues. I'm cutting a very annoying middle ground where I think that the article focusing on Apple is fine because Apple's product is likely to have a greater impact than most of the previous solutions but also I also think the article was a little harsh, especially some of those quoted in it, since Apple actually made the effort to address concerns even if others feel it didn't go far enough. More than anything, the article should expand on the wider context of trackers and focus on solutions that bring the device makers together because that's the hardest part (politically). It mentions them for sure (especially at the end), but I think that's the real focus. Because as others have mentioned, not only is there Tile, but even just cheap GPS trackers can be had. The issue with AirTags is going to be their likely ubiquity. Not just cheap, but already everywhere.
As for some the specific scenarios in the article ... well truthfully an AirTag doesn't actually change much about those scenarios. If the abusive partner is already so controlling that the person barely has control over their own phone, then the abuser doesn't need an AirTag, they can already just use the iPhone/Android to track their "partner". Though I agree that turning off item safety alerts without a passcode is wrong, a person in that kind of relationship won't even have that passcode themselves. Yikes.
Other things like:
The Find My app also doesn’t necessarily provide all the information stalking victims need. “I wish it would activate as soon as a tag that doesn’t belong to you begins to move with you,” Streett said. The app also lacks a function that just lets people instantly scan their vicinity for any AirTags to make sure they’re safe.
Are non-trivial to implement, I suggested the last one myself, but, on retrospect, you would have to design it in such a way that also protects the privacy and rights of people who just happen to be near you or say walking next to you. It can probably be done, but it isn't easy to balance. Maybe something like pinging all unknown tags that have been near, moving with you (within a few feet) for the last hour or so. Dunno.
The parked car one is a good suggestion, that should be implementable.
However, the article ends with what I think should've been the real focus: all the device makers need to make sure they work together. That will solve the biggest issues with the tech (in my mind). It'll never be perfect, it can't be. Since, again, if someone wants to track you, a GPS-cell tracker is pretty inexpensive. But due diligence can make sure that tech companies aren't making an additional and ubiquitous tech fit for purpose.
