ABUSERS and stalkers are among those misusing Apple AirTags to track the locations and belongings of unwanted consumers, an expert has warned.
Apple AirTags are small tracking devices intended for people to locate their personal items like their keys or wallet, but consumers are now being warned as “bad actors” have been using the trackers to cause harm to unsuspecting people.
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Consumers that don’t use Apple products are likely more at risk to be tracked by the coin-sized device because Apple users receive a notification after 72 hours if an unknown AirTag is nearby.
Morgan Wilson, an expert on the rise of sexual and domestic violence by the aid of technology at Northeastern’s Domestic Violence Institute, told The Sun that even if consumers do receive a notification, 72 hours is far too late.
“Think of all the things you would do in three days in the course of your normal life,” Wilson said.
“Now this abusive party has GPS monitoring, to pinpoint the location as to where all of those things you are doing are.”
Wilson says that in her experience, the people who have been targeted the most with this new technology are people in abusive relationships that are tracked by their partners, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
“I think one of the challenges of this technology is that not everybody will recognize that this sort of electronic stalking is abuse.”
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Wilson said that if you suspect you are being stalked or domestically abused, you should consider questions regarding your personal belongings.
Wilson said important questions to ask yourself include who owns your device or pays for it? Do they have access to it? Also, who pays for the wi-fi?
The expert also gave multiple tips to avoid being tracked with AirTags.
Wilson first advises to be aware of your surroundings and know when you think that someone is following you or tracking you, electronically or not.
“I think what we call tech-facilitated abuse has always been an issue as technology has ramped up,” Wilson explained.
“Your safety plan has to grow with you as things in your life change. And so if someone feels like they’re being stalked, I think it’s always a good idea to revisit your own technology.”
TECH SAFETY PLAN
Creating a safety plan is crucial for victims of any type of abuse, as technology can be a tool for abusers and stalkers to attempt to maintain control of their victims.
Trust your instincts when using your devices as well as the internet in general.
Go through your device and make sure that you recognize every app and every setting — ensure that other devices aren’t connected to yours and that Bluetooth and location access is limited or turned off.
If your phone is showing excessive battery use or data usage, it could be a third-party program installed on your device that is using up energy.
CHECK YOUR CAR
Especially in your car, check under mats and seats as cars have been a popular place for stalkers to hide their tracking devices.
If a new item has entered your home, make sure that it doesn’t contain a tracking device or a camera.
Check any nanny or doggy cams or cameras in your car to ensure you know exactly who has access to those devices.
If your car has an app that can allow tracking technology, you should know how to use and disable it.
BREAKUP ADVICE
If you’re going through a bad breakup, make sure that you change all of your passwords to accounts that your ex might attempt to access.
If you’re on a cloud service with your ex or with your family, consider creating your own cloud so that you’re not sharing personal information with anyone you do not trust.
If you have children, ensure that you do the same for them so that no one has access to your family’s information or location.
Finally, it’s crucial that you scrub your social media accounts — and don’t feel pressure to delete them if you don’t want to.
“It’s just not feasible for everyone to be off of social media,” said Wilson. “Because we know that abusers use isolation to keep survivors in a place where they feel like they can’t reach out for help.”
Even if you don’t suspect you’re being stalked, it’s important that you change your passwords every once in a while.
To avoid any strange interactions, go through your friend lists on social media platforms as well as email and make sure they’re all people you know.
Check your privacy settings and the accounts that you have blocked or muted.
If you suspect there are strangers looking at your profiles, consider making your account private.
The Sun has reached out to Apple for comment.
Apple recently released a statement detailing their action to combat unwanted tracking via AirTags.
One of the company’s steps towards improved safety is changing the alert time to earlier than 72 hours.
“We plan to update our unwanted tracking alert system to notify users earlier that an unknown AirTag or Find My network accessory may be traveling with them.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
