Apple admits unwanted tracking

The Big Tech company has announced a new policy on the malicious usage of its AirTags

Apple has come to admit that at least one of its products, the AirTag tracking device, is being misused for “malicious or criminal purposes.” The company said it will change its policies in an effort to curb criminality and violations of privacy.

Announced on Friday, the upcoming software update will be more explicit in its warnings to users regarding the consequences of operating the tracker without people’s permission or without their knowledge. 

While AirTags have been linked to suspected crime such as stalking or car theft, the company said it would now warn every user setting up the device that applying it “to track people without consent is a crime in many regions around the world.”

The personal Apple ID data of suspected offenders could be shared with police “in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement,” the company warned, adding that it has already been “working closely with various safety groups and law enforcement agencies,” helping to apprehend and charge perpetrators. 

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Some additional features to curb unwanted tracking will be implemented later this year, including improved alerts about unknown AirTags nearby. 

The tracker, meant to be attached to personal items such as keys or luggage to help owners locate them when lost, went on sale last year. While Apple says it has been designed “with privacy in mind” and uses advanced encryption, the product has been misused as a cheap means of stalking or spying on someone, when slipped into personal belongings.

Modified versions of the tag that don’t beep to reveal themselves have recently appeared on sale on sites like Etsy.

Apple stressed the AirTags were designed “to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property” and said it condemned “any malicious use” of the product.