Apple and Google have announced that they are working together to address safety risks associated with AirTags and other tracking devices.
and joint press releasethe tech giant has revealed it has teamed up to stop the growing problem of Bluetooth tracking devices being used to track individuals without their knowledge.
Gadgets like this were invented to help find lost packages and misplaced car keys, but they’re also used to covertly track the location of individuals.
The phenomenon is often referred to as “Airtag stalking” after a popular device Apple released in 2021, but the problem of unwanted location tracking also exists in gadgets from manufacturers like Tile, Chipolo and Pebblebee. There is a possibility.
“While Bluetooth trackers have brought tremendous benefits to users, they also present the potential for unwanted tracking. We need industry-wide action to fix this problem,” said Dave, who leads Android engineering at Google. Burke said.
Burke is not wrong. There have been countless media reports of jealous partners and stalkers using her AirTags and others to monitor an individual’s movements without their knowledge. An Indiana woman used her AirTag to track her boyfriend and then after an argument- kill him.
No major technology company wants to get involved in technology that facilitates stalking.
So it’s not a big surprise draft specification Google and Apple submitted to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) how to protect the privacy of individuals who do not want themselves or their belongings to be unwittingly tracked by people who abuse location tracking accessories. explain what you are aiming for.
The draft calls for some of the safety features already built into AirTags, such as the ability to audibly warn individuals when a tracker is traveling with them, away from their owner, and the ability to find and disable such devices. methods, etc.) will become industry standards, but will be further developed.
Additionally, the proposal recommends that tools to combat unwanted tracking should work equally well on both iOS and Android platforms.
Other manufacturers in the Bluetooth tracking sector have broadly expressed support for this proposal.
Since Apple’s successful launch of the AirTag in 2021, concerns have grown that the technology isn’t good enough to prevent abuse. suffer from security flawsand even successful clones have been developed Dodge all anti-tracking protocols.
