Apple updates AirTag setup with stalking in mind

A cautionary finger wag ought to do the trick.

Apple on Thursday announced a series of updates to its AirTag tracking devices, once again making explicit what it’s long known to be true: Abusers use these small discs to stalk victims. With that in mind, soon the AirTag setup will include a warning that using AirTags to track people without their consent is — in many places, anyway — a crime.

“In an upcoming software update, every user setting up their AirTag for the first time will see a message that clearly states that AirTag is meant to track their own belongings, that using AirTag to track people without consent is a crime in many regions around the world, that AirTag is designed to be detected by victims, and that law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the AirTag,” explained Apple in the Thursday blog post.

Oh.
Credit: Apple

The move comes long after victim advocates cried foul at the cheap and easy-to-use tech, pointing out that the scale of Apple’s Find My network puts AirTags in a class of their own. Way back in May of 2021, Evan Galperin, the EFF’s Director of Cybersecurity, spoke out against those dismissing the potential dangers of AirTags.

“The people who are hand-waving the stalking potential of Air Tags sure seem to be folks that are 1. not familiar with how intimate partner abuse works 2. from groups that are less likely to be victims of intimate partner abuse,”

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Apple also announced additional support documentation for those who may find themselves the victims of AirTag-enabled abuse.

Other updates announced Thursday include the clarification that “Unknown Accessory Detected” alerts will only display if AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or “a third-party Find My network accessory” are detected near an iPhone — and not if an iPhone detects an unknown AirTag (that notification will read “AirTag Found Moving With You”).

In addition, Apple reiterated that is has “been actively working with law enforcement on all AirTag-related requests,” and that “Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement.”

While important, it’s unclear if working with police after-the-fact is a solution that will address AirTag abuse at scale.

With Thursday’s update, Apple is seemingly acknowledging that the steps it has taken up to this point to address stalking with AirTags — and the company has taken steps, to be clear — are insufficient.

Perhaps a stern warning will succeed where other efforts have failed. We hope no one is holding their breath.