[CLSTR]
API
< Back to situations

Monitor this situation.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [TECHNOLOGY]

2 clusters · 2 sources · 16 days · First seen · Last updated

Apple AirTag privacy and safety concerns

Overview

Concerns regarding the misuse of Apple AirTags for stalking have led to both product withdrawals and legal action. Elevation Lab withdrew its “AirTag Silencer” from the market after critics argued the device, which mechanically disabled the AirTag speaker, could allow bad actors to track individuals without audible warnings. The company admitted the product could “aid someone with bad intentions to track someone who wouldn’t get phone notifications.”

In Washington state, a lawsuit has been filed against Apple, alleging that the company’s safety features failed to protect a woman from being tracked by her husband. The complaint claims the husband used the plaintiff’s passcode to disable tracking notifications, preventing her phone from alerting her to hidden AirTags found in vehicles and a child’s diaper bag. The plaintiff is seeking damages and requesting that Apple implement mandatory biometric verification, such as Face ID or Touch ID, before tracking notifications can be disabled.

Entities

AirTag · Electronic Frontier Foundation · Elevation Lab · Apple

Timeline

  1. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Apple sued over AirTag tracking notification security

    Apple faces a lawsuit from a Washington woman alleging that AirTag tracking alerts can be easily disabled using only an iPhone passcode, failing to protect users from domestic stalking.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
    Elevation Lab withdraws AirTag Silencer following stalking concerns

    Elevation Lab has recalled its “AirTag Silencer” after critics warned the device could facilitate stalking by disabling the audible alerts used to detect unauthorized tracking.

Sources

iphone-mania.jp · tuaw.com