An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking

Re:An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking by rainsford on Thursday February 10, 2022 @07:48PM (#30295266)

I think a major part of the announcement you're skipping over is the clear statement that individual AirTags are linked to specific AppleIDs and Apple will cooperate with law enforcement to help identify the owners of AirTags used for criminal activity. If you're a wannabe stalker, the fact that Apple has made it clear they're just itching to point the cops in your direction if you misuse their technology seems like a fairly big disincentive when there are other tracking capabilities available. Even if you think your target isn't too likely to find the AirTag, it means you're taking an obvious risk if they do happen to find it.

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Re:An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking by tacLog on Thursday February 10, 2022 @08:00PM (#30295365)

Do you have to reveal who you are to Apple to use an airtag though?

Or with decent operational security can you purchase and activate airtags in an untraceable way?

If you can that undermines your point, however if you can't then your making a very good point.

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Re:An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking by RC_ITR on Thursday February 10, 2022 @08:06PM (#30295416)

If a stalker is willing to buy a burner iOS device (since that's the means of viewing Airtag data), associate it with an untraceable email/iCloud, and only leave the device's location services on in locations that aren't tied to their identity (since Apple also knows where the tracking phone is), then 'having access to Airtags' probably isn't the 'make or break' factor in whether or not they will stalk someone.

If a user has that level of tech savvy, there are plenty of other cellular GPS devices they could use.

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Re:An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking by zimpenfish on Friday February 11, 2022 @03:05AM (#30298475)

> If a user has that level of [spare cash],

I suspect they could get several cellular GPS devices for the cost of an iPhone + some AirTags - meaning they could easily offer up one or two sacrificial ones for easy finding in order to hide a smaller one "in plain sight" (as it were.)

Or they could just hire a private detective to do some stalking for them.

Or someone even less scrupulous for even less money, I'd assume?

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Re:An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking by sangnoir on Thursday February 10, 2022 @11:21PM (#30296927)

> Do you have to reveal who you are to Apple to use an airtag though?

People are subjecting themselves to voluntary surveillance and it's amazing to watch, Apple's promise to cooperate with "Law Enforcement" in most of the world was chilling. J Edgar Hoover would have creamed his pants - "Did you say MLK Jr. has several airtags? I want daily updates on where he's going."

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Re:An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking by bouncing on Friday February 11, 2022 @06:58AM (#30300359)

Most criminals are not clever. I had a girlfriend whose house was broken into; the thieves stole an xbox, an air conditioner, various electronics, etc. After she reported them stolen, sure enough, the serial numbers showed up at a pawn shop, the pawn shop had taken the ID of the sellers down, and warrants were issued. She got her stuff back and the thieves went to jail.

Most criminals wouldn't be doing what they're doing anyway if they were clever or did a modicum of research on what they can actually get away with.

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