Ah, the old “other things are dangerous too” standby. That’s right, we could all be struck by lightning tomorrow so what’s the point in fitting handrails to stairs? We all know cars are dangerous so why would anyone bother wearing a seatbelt? Such logic.
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AirTag Removable Battery Sparks Child Safety Concerns
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It's difficult to understand a fact that the airtag's battery system would kill a child. Chances are that the airtag is more dangerous to be swallowed....
Over inflated concerns when there are dozens of other things such as cables for phones and ipads that could present more danger when a child puts those in his mouth.
Seriously, think twice before writting reply.
Seriously, read the thread before repeating the same old tired talking points that have already been debunked to death.
Heaven forbid anyone else post in "your" thread. I'm sure none of your 48 posts in this thread have repeated the same thing over (and over).
Lego does not pose more of a risk to children. Button cells burn holes in the oesophagus and stomach. This is not about choking hazard.
No BS, I just think it is unrealistic for all parents to be watching their children 100% of the time which is why I called you out on it. That is why safety laws are in place to enable failsafe.
Do you disagree with failing safe?
Do you think the airtag should be designed to make it harder to get the battery out?
Safety is not one thing or another. You have layers for a reason.
- Parent takes duty of care to children
- Companies obey laws relating to making products safe around children. This doesn't just relate to child products but most products.
Unfortunately I cannot buy AirTags, even though I very much want to. I have autistic children who might swallow the battery. I imagine that there are many parents of autistic children who are also locked out of AirTags by this design.
This design is a genuine problem for many people. It isn't just the media creating trouble for Apple.
This design is a genuine problem for many people. It isn't just the media creating trouble for Apple.
You don’t know clearly that button cell batteries have killed many kids. The tissue inside oesophagus closes the circuit casing it to heat up, expand and burn holes in the oesophagus or stomach ultimately leading to death. One almost killed my friends child.
I think your post is proof enough why there needs to be warnings about these types of batteries. It’s frightening just how many people out there and on here share your view. Many are ignorant to the dangers and Apple need to address this sooner rather than later.
Fkng Australia..... babysitting nanny-state mentality 🤦🏻♂️...
#iwannaleave
#iwannaleave
But advice - and our reaction to that advice & situations that can pose a danger to our young - can and should evolve…
Off-topic a little, but those plug covers can themselves increase the risk of danger to children from power sockets/outlets, which already have safety features at the point of design. More details here (and here) if of interest.
The best advice is to stay involved with your child. Or do you disagree with that? That is what I was advocating.
Thanks for the links, they apply to UK sockets that have a 'childproof' internal latch to prevent them from poking things into it. That does not apply to US sockets. Where I live. Not a political statement, an engineering one
The best advice is to stay involved with your child. Or do you disagree with that? That is what I was advocating.
Thanks for the links, they apply to UK sockets that have a 'childproof' internal latch to prevent them from poking things into it. That does not apply to US sockets. Where I live. Not a political statement, an engineering one
Indeed, the best advice is to stay involved with your child/children, I agree. I would add that this is the ideal, and that in daily life there can be situations where - despite trying to do your best - you can be distracted for a short while. This is the kind of scenario where thoughtful design & engineering is helpful.
Apologies – I did make an assumption about your geography. I didn't realise US sockets were missing safety features similar to UK sockets.
Have you never seen American plugs? They are truly dreadful and I’m thankful they are a lower voltage.
If you have young kids and need AirTags, use something like Elevation Lab TagVault for AirTag $13. Kids cost extra, protecting them does too. Be responsible parents and eliminate this risk.
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For all those in this thread who clearly aren't getting it, please use a moment of your time to:
Add to the list lizards, roaches and other bugs kids would catch and eat without their parents knowing about it.
Many Kids nowadays do whatever they please because their parents don’t take the time to educate them.
By the time my siblings and I learned to walk, we were already taught not to open the doors under the kitchen sink (poisons and detergents) and the medicine cabin, and to avoid sticking things into electrical outlets.
Toys had tons of small parts we could have swallowed. But our parents made sure we didn’t put them near or in our mouths.
But today, even teenagers are doing stupid things like swallowing Tide Pods and other junk, and trying to pull all kinds of stupid stunts.
Thanks to this lack of parental interest, plus kids now being more stubborn and eager of instant gratification, Apple may need to do something about the AirTags. Perhaps redesigning the cover with added safety features and sending it to customers or bundling it with a new purchase, so they wouldn’t have to recall them all.
What kind of answer did you get last time you asked?
Ignoring the flippancy of your question, I’ll answer: improving things by learning and being aware is progress.
I think the crux of this issue is that Apple, being modern Apple, has introduced a product that could likely greatly increase the number of these batteries in use.
Couple that with a locking mechanism that seems prone to failure, children whose nature is to explore the world, and parents who cannot completely guarantee attention on said children 100% of the time and there is a potential increased risk.
People need to be aware of this risk to mitigate it, and ideally Apple needs to address their product design failure here.
Ignore all the ‘what about swallowing the object itself?’ posts - the danger of the button cells is the irreversible physical damage they cause if ingested, often leading to death.
Apple didn’t make a mistake. The batteries are hard to get to, and if you have kids that swallow small things put them in a case for gods sake. Are you planning on throwing AirTags into your toddle’s play area? Instead of whining on MacRumors, you should be petitioning the Treasury to stop making pennies, nickels & dimes. Life isn’t fair, it doesn’t coddle & keep everyone safe. The Darwin Awards are there for a reason.
It would be safer if a child were to swallow a penny than one of these batteries. Choking isn’t the issue here.