JOIN USApple's AirTag stalker alert will get faster and loud
Soon after Apple launched the AirTag in 2021, some privacy activists voiced concern that the device can be misused for illegal stalking of a person. To that, Apple came up with value-added privacy-focused features that would curb spying.
Whenever an AirTag gets separated from the owner for too long, the latter will make sounds every eight hours or 24 hours, so that it makes itself known to the people around it and eventually get it returned to the owner.
Also, if the AirTag is traveling to faraway places with anybody else other than the owner, a notification gets displayed on the phone to make them known that an anonymous item is following them. They can even make it play a sound to locate it in the purse/wallet or in a vehicle.
It should be noted that every AirTag comes with a unique serial number and gets linked with a registered Apple ID during the setup process. In this way, AirTag will have the owner's details.
It should be noted that whenever the company gets a subpoena from a law agency, Apple has helped them to nab the person, who misused the AirTag to spy on a victim.
Going forward, Apple AirTag will be getting new features that will further help in improving user privacy security.
"Apple has been working closely with various safety groups and law enforcement agencies. Through our own evaluations and these discussions, we have identified even more ways we can update AirTag safety warnings and help guard against further unwanted tracking," Apple said.
Whenever a user sets up the AirTag for the first time, he/she will get a privacy warning that the accessory must not be used for illegal tracking of people.
Also, the new update, which is slated to be released soon, will ensure, Apple device owners will know if an unknown item is an AirPod or an AirTag or any third-party Find My network accessory. Currently, it displays 'Unknown Accessory' is traveling with them and this confuses the user.
Additionally, the new update will help owners of iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 series handsets, be able to use Precision Finding to see the exact distance and direction to an unknown AirTag when it is in range.
Apple has also ensured that its unwanted tracking alert system will get improved so that it can notify users much faster than before, that an unknown AirTag or Find My network accessory may be traveling with them.
The company also added that going forward, the tone of the AirTag will be at its loudest when playing the sound to locate it.
Furthermore, Apple has revised the official unwanted tracking support article on apple.com to help people understand the working of the AirTag and how they can prevent people stalking them using AirTags and other accessories.
"AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products. Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag," Apple noted.
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