AirTag ecosystem needs to be shut down...

[Squillace]

What about all the people that got personal stuff back, like computers, wallets, or even cars, stolen by thieves and then found back by the police or by the owner himself thanks to the tracking possibilities of AirTags?
Don't you read news about those? You said Apple is facilitating crime, but aren't they fighting it instead in these situations?

Every technology has pros and cons. Apple's job is to improve AirTags in a way that people cannot stalk other persons. Not shut down the service.

 

[John981]

Someone‘s already mentioned it, but we don‘t even know if AirTags are causing more of these stalking incidents or if we simply notice more of them due to the way they work.

I think the availability of these relatively cheap trackers definitely sparked some incidents that wouldn‘t have occurred before, but at the end of the day none of what the AirTags can do couldn‘t be done before. Plus, these other tracking options will likely lack the ability to notify a supposed stalking victim.

So sure, it‘s unsettling to read about incidents like the ones OP mentioned, but getting rid of AirTags wouldn‘t solve the issue at all.

 

[cynics]

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?

Straw men....ooookaayyyy maybe a bit too much facebook news?

You are implying that a bluetooth tag that has been in other devices for years is causing these people to resort to crime. Your solution to stop these criminals is to remove this particular device (of many) off the market? Then what? We see these potential criminals we saved from a life of crime at church next Sunday? Any other inanimate objects that we should look into? I'm really nervous I'll become a criminal.

Lets be real for a moment though, the AirTag isn't the first bluetooth tracking device nor its it a best or even a good solution for tracking a person. They make devices specifically for that task!

If you decides to become a maniac and you wanted to track someone for nefarious purposes would you get a device that is questionably accurate depending on smartphone OS being used (it doesn't work if your potential victim isn't using an iPhone). Alerts your potential victim to its presence. Its set up through Apples iCloud that is tracking the device that is track it and recording your hardware ID, IP and location metrics that would be handed over freely to the police (albeit with a warrant)?

Or would you prefer to track someone with precision accuracy via its own GPS location data that is then sent to you via cellular, completely anonymous with a burner sim card (and a VPN on your end, burner Android phone if you dont have faith in VPNs) from the convenient store, doesn't connect to any devices in its immediate vicinity or alert anyone to its presence. Alerts you when your target is moving. And being magnetic it could be left under a vehicle where no one would ever find it?

GPS Tracker...no subscription

Thats the first one I found, eBay and other aliexpress would have better options. Just need to verify there is no subscription required.

Now more on a hypothetical note. That woman in your story ended up ok because the AirTag alerted her and such aka it was being terrible at tracking a person that isn't in a coma. What do you think would have happen to her if the criminal was using the device I linked?

 

[cynics]

Someone‘s already mentioned it, but we don‘t even know if AirTags are causing more of these stalking incidents or if we simply notice more of them due to the way they work.

I think the availability of these relatively cheap trackers definitely sparked some incidents that wouldn‘t have occurred before, but at the end of the day none of what the AirTags can do couldn‘t be done before. Plus, these other tracking options will likely lack the ability to notify a supposed stalking victim.

So sure, it‘s unsettling to read about incidents like the ones OP mentioned, but getting rid of AirTags wouldn‘t solve the issue at all.

Apple drama makes the news so you'll hear about it more. Plus the tracking devices that work good for tracking people aren't typically recovered so its not brought up. Although its not unheard of...

 

[MTShipp]

Any news organization sensationalizing these AirTag stories without follow up about how the owner of the AirTag was charged by police or the reason not charged has no credibility with me. I own AirTags and I use them responsibly. Don’t punish me for other’s criminal behavior.