Apple created AirTags to track frequently lost items, such as keys. And while these are helpful tools, people are using the product for a more sinister reason. Several women across the United States have reported receiving notifications that they were being tracked by an unregistered device, which later became identified by Apple support as an AirTag. But, of course, we’ve always known this to be a possibility with such tracking devices, so it’s no surprise that it’s happening now.Â
Apple has claimed they put safety at the forefront of AirTag creation, explicitly stating that they’re not for tracking people and putting safeguards in place to prevent human tracking. It’s not enough. The device lets out a quiet beeping noise 8-24 HOURS after detecting movement with an unregistered device (Clayton, Dyer). At that point, your stalker could have followed you home, disabled the device, and you’d never know.Â
These so-called safety features provide too many loopholes for criminals and pose a significant risk. Human trafficking is already bad enough in the United States, but now it just got easier. Now is the time to remain alert in public for the protection of our families.
