London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Dec 27, 2024

Apple and Google team up to tackle AirTag stalking

Apple and Google team up to tackle AirTag stalking

Devices like AirTags, Tile, Chipolo, and Pebblebee are supposed to be attached to belongings like wallets and bags, but there have been cases of people using them for criminal or malicious purposes - including alleged stalking.
Apple and Google have teamed up to thwart people who try to track others using devices designed to help find lost keys and luggage.

The rival tech giants do not often collaborate on new features for their smartphones, with a joint initiative to create contact tracing software during the pandemic one of few past examples.

But now they have submitted a proposal to set standards for combating secret surveillance, following reports that gadgets like Apple's AirTags have been used for malicious purposes.

A lawsuit filed in San Francisco in December alleged that women had been stalked by ex-partners who hid the devices in their belongings - including a car and a child's backpack.

Apple insisted it had made the small, disc-shaped gadgets "stalker-proof", but has acknowledged that "bad actors" have tried misusing them.

While AirTags have become especially popular since being released in 2021, the same concerns apply to similar products including Tile and Pebblebee.

The devices use Bluetooth technology and are designed to be attached to easily lost items like wallets, which then show up in an app on the user's smartphone.

'Industry-wide action required'

Apple and Google, which run the iOS and Android mobile operating systems respectively, have previously worked on their own solutions to the malicious tracking issue.

iPhone users are now warned if an unknown AirTag might be "travelling with them", for example.

But the two companies want to go further by proposing an industry standard, and they hope to submit it to an organisation called the Internet Engineering Task Force later this year.

Dave Burke, Google's vice president of engineering for Android, said the issue of unwanted tracking "requires industry-wide action to solve".

A draft proposal has suggested security upgrades that apply to all tracking devices would be delivered via regular software updates to Apple and Android smartphones.

The move was welcomed by campaigners, with the National Network to End Domestic Violence's Safety Net Project saying it would "decrease the burden on survivors in detecting unwanted trackers".
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Triggers Speculation of Russian Misfire
Western Support for Ukraine Wanes Amidst Trump’s Return and Russian Resurgence
Ukraine Strikes Russian Missile Factory, Deepening Tensions
Ireland's Medieval Ecclesiastical Register Undergoes Conservation
The Closure of the Global Engagement Center: Controversy, Claims, and Conclusions
The Rise of Princess Charlotte: A New Star in the Royal Firmament
Diplomatic Waters: Finland's Seizure of a Russian-linked Vessel in the Baltic Sea
Reform UK Declares Itself the 'Real Opposition' Amid Membership Surge
Pope Francis Opens Holy Door at Major Italian Prison
Britain’s ‘Wild West’ of Weight-Loss Jab Promotions Faces Growing Scrutiny
Pope Francis Urges Unprecedented Dialogue Amid Escalating Ukraine-Russia Tensions
Dozens Survive Kazakhstan Passenger Jet Crash Amid Tragedy
Kazakhstan Air Disaster: Dozens Survive as Authorities Probe Fatal Plane Crash
Postal Workers Demand Government Probe Into Royal Mail 'Fake Deliveries' Scandal
Explosion Sinks Russian Cargo Ship Ursa Major in Mediterranean
Mystery Shrouds U.S. Citizen Gene Spector's 15-Year Espionage Sentence in Moscow
Zelenskyy Alleges 3,000 North Korean Casualties in Russian Conflict
North Korea's Unseen Hand: Over 1,000 Troops Suffer Casualties in Ukraine
Discovery of 50,000-Year-Old Baby Mammoth in Siberia Fascinates Scientists
Magdeburg Attack Fuels AfD's Political Momentum Amid Rising Tensions
In Magdeburg, Germany, a man is arrested by the police for declaring, "I am a Christian."
UK News Roundup: London Shooting, Travel Disruptions, and Legal Battles
UK Economy Teeters on Recession's Edge Amid Revised Growth Figures
Australian Man Captured in Ukraine Conflict; Government Seeks Answers
Zelenskyy’s Push for NATO: A High-Stakes Gamble for Eastern European Stability
Slovak Pragmatism or EU Discord: Prime Minister Fico’s Polarizing Moscow Engagement
The Ripple Effects of a Russian Victory in Ukraine: A Global Tectonic Shift
U.S. Government Shutdown Averted by Last-Minute Agreement
Tragedy in Magdeburg: Saudi Doctor's Alleged Terror Attack at German Christmas Market Ignites Global Security Debate
Tragedy Strikes at Magdeburg Christmas Market: Terror Attack Leaves Five Dead
Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger Discovered in Nursing Home Following Six Months of Inaction
Prince William to End Feudal Land Restrictions in Duchy of Cornwall, but Controversies Remain
British police appear unprepared to deal with usual suspects
Russia's Ballistic Blitz on Kyiv Sends Shockwaves Through Global Stability
Multiple Tragedies and Tensions Mark Global Events: A Closer Look
Elon Musk's AfD Endorsement Ignites Controversy from neo-Nazis who accuse the AfD of being what they themselves are
Ukraine Claims Unprecedented Russian Losses: The Truth Behind Wartime Statistics
Federal Reserve Chair Powell: "We are prohibited from owning Bitcoin and are not seeking any changes to that law."
A Democratic congresswoman with blue and black hair is having a meltdown over "President Musk."
A sizable group of unauthorized migrants is traveling through Mexico with the aim of reaching the USA before Trump assumes office.
Beatles Reunion Electrifies London: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Ignite O2 Arena with Surprise Performance
Starmer's Envoy Engages Trump Team as UK Seeks Strategic U.S. Partnership
Britain's Retail Rebound Falters as Black Friday Splurge Dissipates
Bank of Japan's Bold Reckoning: A Decade of Unconventional Policy Under Scrutiny
Republican Discord Threatens Government Shutdown Amid Holiday Season
French Retiree Dominique Pellico Convicted for Recruiting 72 Men to Assault Wife Over a Decade
Putin Defends War Strategy as Global Tensions Rise
Putin Claims Progress as Tensions Rise: Conflict in Ukraine Intensifies
Putin's Paradox: Claiming Strength Amidst Sanctions and Isolation
Water as a Weapon: The Contentious Struggle for Survival in Gaza
×