Apple updates AirTags to address stalking concerns

Apple has up up to now AirTags as a technique to address privacy concerns associated to the Bluetooth trackers. With the exchange, Apple is shortening the duration of when an AirTag may per chance per chance additionally merely also be separated from its proprietor with out making noise.

“Following up on our dedication to continue to pork up AirTag’s privacy and safety, starting presently time we are able to be updating the timeframe after which an AirTag that is separated from its proprietor will play a sound when moved,” an Apple spokesperson acknowledged in a statement. “This timeframe is changing from three days to a random time between 8 and 24 hours.”

That may per chance per chance additionally merely sound cherish a minor exchange, but it surely’s meant to address concerns that Apple didn’t carry out passable to forestall AirTags from being worn nefariously. The Washington Post reported that the earlier, three-day window made it “frighteningly easy” for a capability stalker to trace a victim for days sooner than they’d receive to any extent extra or less warning that an AirTag had been surreptitiously positioned into their property.

To extra allay privacy concerns, Apple will most seemingly be planning an Android app that will back customers detect “an AirTag or Discover My network-enabled accent separated from its proprietor that will seemingly be traveling with a user.” Importantly, it doesn’t sound cherish the app is meant to present Android customers fleshy functionality of AirTags, but it surely would give non-iPhone owners a technique to leer undesirable trackers. On one hand, this composed places the onus on a capability stalking victim to proactively download a brand new app and leer an AirTag, which appears unrealistic. On the diversified hand, it reveals that Apple is awake of privacy concerns, and is commence to strengthening the tool’s present anti-stalking ingredients.