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Samsung SmartThings Update Aims to Prevent Tracker-Based Stalking

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Ahead of Apple's "Spring Loaded" event later today, Samsung has announced an update to its SmartThings Find platform that can scan for unknown Galaxy SmartTags and other Tile-like trackers nearby and alert the user if one appears to be moving along with them in their vicinity.

samsung-smartthings-tracker.jpg

Called "Unknown Tag Search," the anti-stalking feature aims to detect if someone has slipped a SmartTag into the user's bag or vehicle and is surreptitiously tracking their location.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 beta 3 includes a similar Find My feature called "Item Safety Feature" that helps prevent someone from stalking or tracking you with item trackers such as Apple's rumored AirTags.

turn-off-airtags-tracker-stalking.jpeg

With the feature enabled, the user's iPhone can tell if someone has placed an AirTag or other Find My-compatible item tracker on their person and can prevent your location from being shared.

In a related discovery, MacRumors contributor Steve Moser last year found code within iOS 14.3 beta 1 that states, "If you feel your safety is at risk due to this item, contact your local law enforcement. You may need the serial number of this item."

In its announcement today, Samsung also explained that its Bixby voice assistant can now be used to find SmartTags based on their custom name and direct the user to their location with an audible alert. Apple's Siri is likely to offer similar functionality with AirTags.


Apple has already opened up its Find My network for third-party accessories makers to take advantage of ultra-wideband technology in Apple devices. Under the network, accessory makers will tap into the Find My ecosystem, allowing customers to track their items on their iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

‌AirTags‌ have been rumored to be launching for months now, and the most recent hope is that they will be unveiled later today during Apple's "Spring Loaded" virtual event. The event kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time via a live stream on Apple's website and YouTube channel.

If you can't watch the live stream, you can follow along for full coverage of all of the announcements from the event on MacRumors.com or follow us on Twitter at MacRumorsLive for our live tweet coverage.

Article Link: Samsung SmartThings Update Aims to Prevent Tracker-Based Stalking
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/04/20/samsung-smartthings-prevent-tracker-stalking/
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Makes total sense. A device travelling wherever I (or my phone) goes is either my device, and I should have told the phone about it, or it is someone else's device. I might have picked up someone's car keys by mistake, then I want to know. Or someone put a tracker on me, then I also want to know.

I wonder how clever it is to figure out that when I'm on the train, the passenger besides me could have a completely legitimate smart tag on them which is of no concern whatsoever. But hard to distinguish.
 
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Im interested to see how they can tell the difference between someone putting a tag in my car and it being stolen and someone putting a tag in someones car and it stalking them.
Either way, the thief and victim will get some kind of alert and have the ability to turn it off?
 
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Macropanda said:
Im interested to see how they can tell the difference between someone putting a tag in my car and it being stolen and someone putting a tag in someones car and it stalking them.
Either way, the thief and victim will get some kind of alert and have the ability to turn it off?
Click to expand...
New AirTags... to track the things you lose or get stolen... and we’ll let the thief know it’s there so they can fling it out the window as they drive off
 
gnasher729 said:
I wonder how clever it is to figure out that when I'm on the train, the passenger besides me could have a completely legitimate smart tag on them which is of no concern whatsoever. But hard to distinguish.
Click to expand...

Probably if you are the owner and are traveling with it, it would not show up on other peoples phones as an unknown tracking device. It is only when the owner is separated from that tracker that it would show up.

The question is how are SmartTags and AirTags going to work if I have an iPhone and someone puts a SmartTag tracker on my car. is the iPhone going to tell me there is an unknown tracking device traveling with me?
 
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Now what? A tag for tags? What if I lose it? Utter nonsensical rhubarb. Climb out of your own bum-holes and put all that tech-savvy brainpower to work building a better kidney machine. Waste of a perfectly salvageable planet.
 
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edk99 said:
Probably if you are the owner and are traveling with it, it would not show up on other peoples phones as an unknown tracking device. It is only when the owner is separated from that tracker that it would show up.

The question is how are SmartTags and AirTags going to work if I have an iPhone and someone puts a SmartTag tracker on my car. is the iPhone going to tell me there is an unknown tracking device traveling with me?
Click to expand...
Yes... trackers are linked to an iCloud account. If there’s a tracker moving with you that’s not on your account you’ll be notified. If it’s a tracker owned by the person next to you, you just turn off the notifications sent to you for that tracker.
 
The paranoia seems overblown. I don’t know about Samsung‘s thing and AirTags are yet to arrive, but I highly doubt they are gonna use cellular, otherwise it would be a total battery hog.

Meaning, I don’t think you can stick these on a car or slip into someone’s bag and track them through the city. You probably need to be within Bluetooth range or something for the Tags to work.

But maybe I’m wrong, all will be clear in a couple of hours presumably.
 
Kuskah said:
The paranoia seems overblown. I don’t know about Samsung‘s thing and AirTags are yet to arrive, but I highly doubt they are gonna use cellular, otherwise it would be a total battery hog.

Meaning, I don’t think you can stick these on a car or slip into someone’s bag and track them through the city. You probably need to be within Bluetooth range or something for the Tags to work.

But maybe I’m wrong, all will be clear in a couple of hours presumably.
Click to expand...
The tag's location is relayed by Bluetooth to any nearby Apple device that has a network connection, either cellular or Wifi. The individual tags themselves only need Bluetooth.
 
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Surreptitiously tracking someone’s location! From the company that brought you Android phones. I fart in your general direction. Tag that.
 
these trackers only work when tag and monitoring device are feets apart from each other. how would this help track a car?... the only use would be to know if the car leaves/arrives a certain location.... this is thing is only useful to track stuff inside a house/office.
 
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edk99 said:
Probably if you are the owner and are traveling with it, it would not show up on other peoples phones as an unknown tracking device. It is only when the owner is separated from that tracker that it would show up.

The question is how are SmartTags and AirTags going to work if I have an iPhone and someone puts a SmartTag tracker on my car. is the iPhone going to tell me there is an unknown tracking device traveling with me?
Click to expand...
Probably not because Samsung's SmartTags don't use the Find My network.
 
This is a great feature. I wonder if Apple has incorporated this in their smart tags rumored to be released today.
 
It’s an interesting conundrum. Let’s say I left my bag with a tag on a bus. Other passengers would have already seen the notification before my bag was lost and ignored it as a ‘non-stalker’.

Presumably when I register my tag as lost it sets a flag in the system and those people will get pinged again saying there is an item nearby that is lost?

A friend of mine left his iPhone on a train once, leaving it in the folded-up table by mistake. Once he noticed it was gone he was able to track it via iCloud all day, and as it was a commuter train he literally went back to the same seat on the way home and by sheer good fortune his phone was still there!
 
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will that mean I have to have both iD€vic€ and some Sam$it to be sure no currently available tags are tracking my bag besides me?
if not - does the samshthingy work with my iThingy and vice versa? - too many questions untl seen in the wild - seriously doubt the announcements will clarify this.
and then there is a question about jailbreaking those trackingies.... looking to enjoying the can of worms we may be picklin within a year (or the first OTA udate)
 
Hmm the Samsung Display on this pic looks sooo good... dunno why, but the content is so clear, and directly under the glass.
A screenshot collage, or 3d rendered?
 
I mean if you’re going to steal apples products you might as well also steal all their known features you forgot to add first
 
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