AirTag Removable Battery Sparks Child Safety Concerns

[MacRumors]

More than a week following their international debut, Apple's AirTag item tracker is now facing child safety concerns about its replaceable battery.

AirTags feature a standard replaceable CR2032 coin-cell battery that Apple says can power an AirTag for an entire year. The battery in an AirTag can be removed by pushing down and twisting the AirTag's back-plate, a fairly straightforward and easy process.

However, the easy battery replacement process has prompted concerns that a child could access the battery and potentially pose a safety risk to themselves. As reported by Gizmodo, concerns are high enough to have caused major Australian retailer Officeworks to temporarily pull AirTags from its shelves.

The retailer hasn't confirmed the exact reason, although the report notes that multiple Reddit users have said that an Officeworks representative confirmed the retailer's concerns over child safety.

"Staff at the counter could see on their system that they had some in stock, and one staff member even remembered selling them on Friday, but they couldn’t find them today," the user wrote in a post.

They went onto say that an Officeworks representative told them that the AirTags were removed due to safety concerns, specifically regarding how easy it is for the button-cell battery to be removed by a child.

Furthermore, in a statement given to Gizmodo, Apple preemptively confirmed that the battery replacement process is at the center of the retail chain's decision to pull AirTags from its shelf temporarily.

"AirTag is designed to meet international child safety standards, including those in Australia, by requiring a two step push-and-turn mechanism to access the user-replaceable battery," an Apple representative said in an email to Gizmodo Australia.

"We are following the regulations closely and are working to ensure that our products will meet or exceed new standards, including those for package labelling, well ahead of the timeline required."

Officeworks says that AirTags will stay off its shelves until "further guidance is provided from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission," which happens to be the same authority currently investigating Apple over claims of anti-competitive market behavior.

Australian regulations require that any consumer good that features a battery compartment that's accessible to the consumer, whether or not the battery is intended to be replaced, must "be designed to ensure the compartment is resistant to being opened by young children." Regulations also state that the battery compartment must feature "screws or similar fasteners used to secure the door."

AirTags don't feature any screws visible to the consumer. However, to access the battery compartment, the user must first press down and twist the back plate. So, while there are definite concerns, it's unlikely AirTags violates any direct regulatory clause. Instead, it's likely that a lack of clarity regarding how Apple's AirTags fit with the existing regulations has caused the retailer to pull them.

Article Link: AirTag Removable Battery Sparks Child Safety Concerns

 

[CaptainBlue]

I don't know, but maybe don't give an electrical device to your kids? Maybe supervise them? Maybe take some responsibility...

 

[sergekills]

Well... I think that people should keep an eye on their kids by themselves and not make Apple responsible for THEIR actions. Like duh

 

[Eddy Munn]

Most children could eat the whole thing if they wanted too, let alone the battery. Perhaps a 2021 Tide Pod challenge?

 

[Marbles1]

Well... I think that people should keep an eye on their kids by themselves and not make Apple responsible for YOUR actions. Like duh

So if you lose your keys you should keep an eye on your kids....?

They just need to put a safety warning on the box that they're not suitable for under 3's.

They do this in the UK - anything intended for use 'around children' has a screw or an especially secure method of sealing the battery door.

Can anyone confirm how easy it is to get the battery out?

 

[PilotWoo]

If they had made the battery fixed - APPLE BUILT IN OBSOLESCENCE SCANDAL
Because they didn't, we now get this headline. The media is getting pretty tiring these days.

As others have said, kids will destroy/swallow/put up their nose practically anything they can. Move on

 

[LeeW]

Why would a child be playing with one, unsupervised, in fact at all even if supervised? I mean I know kids can get into all sorts and things do happen but then you could argue they could choke on it more than take the battery out. The same applies to hundreds of other items in the home.

Seems like a nonsense position.

 

[appahappa]

Oh, what the hell!? Everything poses a risk to a child. Coins are dangerous, pencils, many more things in households. Forbid everything!

 

[djcerla]

Removable batteries are a bag of hurt, as Steve Jobs would say.

 

[Wanted797]

FFS don’t let it be my country that goes and makes Apple make the battery non-replaceable.

This however sounds more like one retail store chain making a dumb move from one Karen’s complaint.

 

[ap7]

Don’t allow Bill Gates to microchip your kids. Just do it yourself by allowing them to swallow the new Apple Airtag!

 

[SoldOnApple]

Won’t someone please think about the Auslitran children!

 

[mazz0]

So if you lose your keys you should keep an eye on your kids....?

They just need to put a safety warning on the box that they're not suitable for under 3's.

They do this in the UK - anything intended for use 'around children' has a screw or an especially secure method of sealing the battery door.

Can anyone confirm how easy it is to get the battery out?

If you lose your keys the AirTag will be in a keyring and it'll be very hard to get to battery cover off

 

[sergekills]

So if you lose your keys you should keep an eye on your kids....?

They just need to put a safety warning on the box that they're not suitable for under 3's.

They do this in the UK - anything intended for use 'around children' has a screw or an especially secure method of sealing the battery door.

Can anyone confirm how easy it is to get the battery out?

It's pretty easy to get the battery out, but this is not a toy. Was never advertised as a toy or anything what you should put on your child before the walk.
AirTag is obviously not suitable for a three-year-old because he doesn't have an iPhone.

 

[sergekills]

Removable batteries are a bag of hurt, as Steve Jobs would say.

Would you like to send the AirTag to Apple for them to replace it once it's dead for an extra charge like Tile does or what?

 

[SigurTom]

Most children could eat the whole thing if they wanted too, let alone the battery. Perhaps a 2021 Tide Pod challenge?

Not just children, I’ve been living on a strict diet of airtags since release.

 

[sdz]

Spent some time with your children? Supervision necessary at all times.

 

[sergekills]

Not just children, I’ve been living on a strict diet of airtags since release.

You are charged for a year at least! YAY!

 

[RammyXX]

I suggest making them bigger and using AA batteries, they are much harder for kids to swallow!

 

[leman]

Sorry, this is getting absolutely ridiculous.

 

[trifero]

This is ridiculous.

 

[sergekills]

I suggest making them bigger and using AA batteries, they are much harder for kids to swallow!

I suggest AirTags come with a mouth zipper for kids.

 

[cheesyappleuser]

Is this a joke?

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

Surely it’s easier to remove the batteries from your TV remote

 

[Marbles1]

ITT: no one with kids.