AirTag ecosystem needs to be shut down...

[ikramerica]

Reading more and more articles and posts about women being tracked and stalked using AirTags (as well as cars being stolen) I am of the belief that Apple should shut it down. I know there is a lot of blowback about this idea, and that "trackers were already available" before AirTags, but that doesn't really matter.

Apple has made it far too easy to achieve these results and they simply shouldn't be the company that facilitates it. Let a third party be the company that facilitates crimes in the name of convenience. I think it severely tarnishes the Apple brand to be the company behind the issue.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be done. AirTags, to me, fit that to a T.

 

[Abazigal]

It’s almost as though Apple as a company is incapable of observing how their products are used out in the real world, gathering feedback and then updating these devices to better prevent abuse.

Or has it simply been too long since the last controversy?

 

[Sigvard]

lol k

 

[chabig]

Reading more and more articles and posts about people being harassed and stalked using computers (as well as stolen cars being fenced) I am of the belief that Apple should shut down. I know there is a lot of blowback about this idea, and that "computers were already available" before social media, but that doesn't really matter.

 

[romanof]

As Colonel Potter would have said, "Mule Muffins!"

Rather than AirTags, GM should be prohibited from selling automobiles. Do you know how many people are killed every year in Chevys?

And Sugar. That is a poison that is deadly in causing the fatness disease. Ban it!

And OMG! Coin batteries are a death trap to kids...

Of course, all the deaths above are nothing compared to the evil of an iPhone pinging a warning.

 

[icanhazmac]

Reading more and more articles about....

sugar making people fat and diabetic, maybe we shouldn't make sugar?
people getting in car accidents, maybe we shouldn't make cars?
people getting drunk and doing stupid things, maybe we shouldn't make booze?
sunburn causing skin cancer, maybe we should shutdown the sun?
shark attacks, maybe we should drain the oceans?

Assuming the latest news story about airtags was the last straw for you, the "ecosystem" did exactly what it was supposed to do in that it warned the intended victim. What needs to happen now is LE needs to request ownership information on the airtag in question and that person needs to be prosecuted to the fullest.

Bad people will do bad things, we will never stop that, doesn't mean the other 99% of us shouldn't have nice things.

 

[MayaUser]

I think OP got the idea...probably he is hiding somewhere
Every tech can be used in some way harmful...so yea

 

[trusso]

As Colonel Potter would have said, "Mule Muffins!"

Rather than AirTags, GM should be prohibited from selling automobiles. Do you know how many people are killed every year in Chevys?

And Sugar. That is a poison that is deadly in causing the fatness disease. Ban it!

And OMG! Coin batteries are a death trap to kids...

Of course, all the deaths above are nothing compared to the evil of an iPhone pinging a warning.

You say some of these like it's a joke...

 

[ikramerica]

Your rebuttals are straw men.

Read up on the SI swimsuit model who was tracked by a stranger, and sho had never heard of AirTags until she was notified by Apple on her phone after she got home. She had to look it up, and found hundreds of similar incidents.

Before Apple’s algorithms had decided she was being stalked, the stalker knew everywhere she had been that night and where she lives.

Could this be done with other tech? Yes, not as a easily but also with no warning. But why does Apple want to have the first encounter with an Airtag for many people be one where they are put in physical danger because of it?

 

[adrianlondon]

Bad people will do bad things, we will never stop that, doesn't mean the other 99% of us shouldn't have nice things.

They should be tagged with AirTags.

 

[Honza1]

Read up on the SI swimsuit model who was tracked by a stranger, and sho had never heard of AirTags until she was notified by Apple on her phone after she got home. She had to look it up, and found hundreds of similar incidents.

Before Apple’s algorithms had decided she was being stalked, the stalker knew everywhere she had been that night and where she lives.

Could this be done with other tech? Yes, not as a easily but also with no warning. But why does Apple want to have the first encounter with an Airtag for many people be one where they are put in physical danger because of it?

Actually, stalking has been already done by other tech on the market before. It is only little bit more cumbersome. Apple deserves credit for creating system which warns you when you are being stalked and allows you to find the AirTag relatively easily. With other tech you do not have similar chance of finding that you are stalked.

If anything, the other tech should be banned and removed from market until they come up with at least same discoverability as AirTags have.

Keep in mind, that stalking someone with AirTags is stupidity. If a AirTag is found it can be identified by Apple and linked to Apple account. Police could relatively easily find out lot more about the stalker than in any other case. The fact police ignores these options is really problem of police not taking this seriously enough. And sure, stalker can create special Apple account, but there is trail larger than in tracker using prepaid LTE account.

 

[LeeW]

If a AirTag is found it can be identified by Apple and linked to Apple account. Police could relatively easily find out lot more about the stalker than in any other case.

If the intention is organised crime then it is not going to lead you straight to the person or persons behind it.

 

[fastlanephil]

Apple probably needs to at least make some modifications to this product for stronger anti-crime security although that could make the product too invasive as far as the purchaser’s privacy. I’m not an attorney but it seems like Apple could eventually have some serious legal exposer with the nefarious use this product.

 

[McScooby]

Apple probably needs to at least make some modifications to this product for stronger anti-crime security although that could make the product too invasive as far as the purchaser’s privacy. I’m not an attorney but it seems like Apple could eventually have some serious legal exposer with the nefarious use this product.

What happens if someone buys a MacBook & uses it to look up random bad stuff on the internet, should apple stop selling computers & phones for this reason?l

 

[Shanghaichica]

Trackers existed before the airtag. Are we going to shut down tile and Samsung tags too. Also should we ban all smart phones because people often install tracking apps on other people's smart phones without their knowledge for nefarious purposes. The likes of google are tracking us all the time. So I think we need to ban all phones, tablets and computers.

 

[LeonPro]

We should ban wearing shoes! Have you people read up on news articles about bad people who intentionally harm their victims - they wore shoes! No one committed a crime barefoot because that would be too cumbersome to run or drive away.

If we ban wearing shoes, the crime rate will go down.

Only flip flops are allowed from now on.

 

[Marli]

It's a generational thing.. It's the knee jerk generation..

Do you realise this was all going on well before Airtags.. Just because Apple is now involved, and its a big brand that people like to report on, doesnt mean its happening any more than it did..

 

[Abazigal]

Apple probably needs to at least make some modifications to this product for stronger anti-crime security although that could make the product too invasive as far as the purchaser’s privacy. I’m not an attorney but it seems like Apple could eventually have some serious legal exposer with the nefarious use this product.

This does raise the question - are AirTags causing more stalking problems, or simply making people more aware of them because of the unique countermeasures built into the ecosystem (which were conspicuously missing from Tile and Samsung trackers)? You can't tell me that nobody has ever tried to abuse Tile trackers in a similar fashion in the past.

 

[tmoerel]

Reading more and more articles and posts about women being tracked and stalked using AirTags (as well as cars being stolen) I am of the belief that Apple should shut it down. I know there is a lot of blowback about this idea, and that "trackers were already available" before AirTags, but that doesn't really matter.

Apple has made it far too easy to achieve these results and they simply shouldn't be the company that facilitates it. Let a third party be the company that facilitates crimes in the name of convenience. I think it severely tarnishes the Apple brand to be the company behind the issue.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be done. AirTags, to me, fit that to a T.

So if you want to shut down the tools used to commit crimes then yes I am in favour of that! So lets ban gun ownership!! But then seeing the america in your name, you might not agree with that one.

 

[BreakYurAnkles]

I don't think it should be shut down entirely.

I agree that its a pretty simple and easy way to track. But it should be simple and easy to track for the targets/victims as well.

I don't really like the fact that iOS notifies you when you get *HOME* that an unknown airtag has been tracking you.

I'd personally like it if I could open a specific/dedicated app and scan when needed.

 

[I7guy]

Your rebuttals are straw men.

Read up on the SI swimsuit model who was tracked by a stranger, and sho had never heard of AirTags until she was notified by Apple on her phone after she got home. She had to look it up, and found hundreds of similar incidents.

Before Apple’s algorithms had decided she was being stalked, the stalker knew everywhere she had been that night and where she lives.

Could this be done with other tech? Yes, not as a easily but also with no warning. But why does Apple want to have the first encounter with an Airtag for many people be one where they are put in physical danger because of it?

Do you have some citations for the "hundreds of similar incidents" using airtags or are you believing something was posted online?

At least airtags notify you, other tech doesn't notify you.

 

[Howard2k]

Stop selling knives. Forks and sporks only. Hundreds of people get stabbed with knives.

 

[halifaxcrosby]

Stop selling knives. Forks and sporks only. Hundreds of people get stabbed with knives.

It is a little bit differnt, as the tag will spy you wihout knowing... You definitely know when you got stabbed

 

[yabeweb]

Reading more and more articles and posts about women being tracked and stalked using AirTags (as well as cars being stolen) I am of the belief that Apple should shut it down. I know there is a lot of blowback about this idea, and that "trackers were already available" before AirTags, but that doesn't really matter.

Apple has made it far too easy to achieve these results and they simply shouldn't be the company that facilitates it. Let a third party be the company that facilitates crimes in the name of convenience. I think it severely tarnishes the Apple brand to be the company behind the issue.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be done. AirTags, to me, fit that to a T.

You know you can buy a super cheap android phone track it and use it as an AirTag right? Should we stop using smartphones too?

i mean if the malicious is gaining a car or even worse stalk someone, 100 dollar for a phone is nothing.

Some are cheap and small too, easily hideable.

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

Reading more and more articles and posts about women being tracked and stalked using AirTags (as well as cars being stolen) I am of the belief that Apple should shut it down. I know there is a lot of blowback about this idea, and that "trackers were already available" before AirTags, but that doesn't really matter.

Apple has made it far too easy to achieve these results and they simply shouldn't be the company that facilitates it. Let a third party be the company that facilitates crimes in the name of convenience. I think it severely tarnishes the Apple brand to be the company behind the issue.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be done. AirTags, to me, fit that to a T.

Oh be quiet. Go back to sipping your latte in Starbucks.