Fact Check: Apple AirTags Misuse: Stalking Concerns and Safety Measures Explained

Explore the functionality and potential risks of Apple's AirTags, released in April 2020 to track personal items using Bluetooth technology. Discover how misuse for stalking has prompted safety measures, including noise updates and a user guide, offering insights on safeguarding against unwanted tracking.

Apple's AirTags were released in April 2020 by Apple to keep track of and locate personal belongings. They are small bluetooth devices that owners can attach to their items and they indicate where the item is in real time. If users misplace their item, they can send a signal to their AirTag or “ping it” using the ‘Find My App’ on their Apple device which will cause the AirTag to make a sound. AirTags are compatible only with Apple products for full functionality but there is a Tracker Detect app for Android users to be able to track AirTags that have already been set up.

When Apple released the AirTags, they knew the potential of their misuse and even released a statement regarding it, but the potential has turned into a real threat. Since their release, there have been many reported cases of unwanted AirTags being found under people’s cars or attached to their personal items. People would receive alerts on their iPhones that an "Unknown Accessory" had been following them.

While AirTags are being misused by stalkers who are tracking their target's location, there are some safety precautions built into the device. AirTags do not store any location history or data, and, as of an update during the summer of 2021, start making a noise after 8 hours if there is a lost AirTag near you. However, some people have complained that the noise isn’t sufficient enough to be recognizable. It only beeps at 60 decibels which is a conversational volume and can easily be muffled.

In January 2022, Apple released a “Personal Safety User Guide” to help users understand and protect their personal safety when using Apple products such as the AirTags. They recommend that if users find an AirTag that isn’t their own, they can view its serial number and help return it to its owner, or disable it. They have also released an app on the Google Play Store for Android users to be able to detect suspicious AirTags near them. While there are precautions users can take to be aware if someone is tracking them, Apple recommends that "If users ever feel their safety is at risk, they are encouraged to contact local law enforcement who can work with Apple to provide any available information about the unknown AirTags.”

The claim that Apple AirTags can and have been misused by some people to stalk individuals and track their locations is true, but there are ways to keep you safe.

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