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Apple updates AirTags to make unwanted tracking and theft difficult

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After revealing its $29 tracking device, which worked with the company’s Find My Network last April, Apple is now updating them to avoid threat actors from using the tag for stalking, theft or any other wrong sort of tracking.

The company put out an update on Thursday, condemning the misuse of its products and outlined a series of updates, some already released and some to come later this year, to help make users more aware of unwanted AirTags around them. 

Apple has been trying to stay on top of this unwanted tracking problem for some time now, even rolling out an Android app called Tracker Detect to keep Android users safe from AirTags. However, modified AirTags can get around this safeguard. Silenced AirTags were seen for sale on Etsy and eBay just a week ago. 

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Find My Network becomes Find Me Network

While Apple, in its announcement, insists misuse is rare, it did say that it has been working with safety groups and law enforcement agencies to identify ways to make AirTags less prone to unwanted traffic.

These changes include new privacy warnings when setting up AirTags reminding users that AirTags are only supposed to track their belongings new alert issues for AirPods, which clearly show that a pair of AirPods are travelling with someone instead of the old ‘unknown accessory’ alert. Apple’s unwanted tracking support article has also been updated to better communicate the safety features built into AirTags, AirPods, and other Find Me accessories. 

The AirTag can help you track down just about anything you tether it to. | Souce: Apple

Additionally, the company is also “investigating a series of updates” that they plan to bring later this year, including precision finding for unwanted AirTags, displaying alerts with sounds, increasing the AirTags’s sound alert volume and refining their unwanted tracking alert logic. 

And that’s not all. The iPhone maker has also warned that just because it’s improving AirTags to protect privacy, that doesn’t mean that your privacy will be protected if you’re doing something wrong. Since each AirTag has a unique ID, they can provide it to authorities if presented with a valid legal warrant. 

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Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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