APPLE’S latest iOS update features new anti-stalking measures for its AirTag device designed to help users from being targeted.
The tech giant released on Tuesday the fourth beta for iOS 15.4 – and it includes several new features aimed at preventing AirTags from being used to stalk people, according to a new report by 9to5Mac.
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The most notable of the new features is AirTag’s new privacy notice, which pops up automatically during setup.
The privacy notice first warns users that AirTag devices are linked to their Apple ID, then reminds them that tracking someone without their consent is a crime in “many regions of the world.”
The privacy warning reads: “AirTag is intended solely to track items that belong to you.”
The warning also states that the device is designed to be detected by victims and law enforcement to enable them to “request identifying information about the owner.”
Other security features include iOS now specifying which type of accessory is detected moving with someone (i.e. a pair of AirPods or an AirTag.)
The Find My tool also features updated notification settings that give users the ability to now change specific options for Find My and Tracking separately.
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Apple announced a slew of new safety features for its AirTags earlier this month in response to several reports of victims being stalked by individuals via the tracking devices.
At the time, Apple didn’t specify a release date, saying only that the features would arrive in a future software update.
How to protect yourself
There are several ways to mitigate your risk of being tracked by an AirTag, according to PCMags’s Steven Winkleman, such as regularly inspecting personal belongings.
“Take a few minutes to empty your bag and pockets each day; check to make sure all of the seams are intact and you don’t feel any awkward lumps or hard surfaces,” he wrote.
It’s important to also be wary of your mail, especially if you use a PO box or rent a mailbox.
Furthermore, you will want to inspect your bike and car for trackers, checking behind license plates, the opening between the hood and windshield, in the wheel wells, and the front and rear bumpers of your car.
How to detect and disable an AirTag
If an AirTag is traveling with an unregistered person, it will chirp sometime after 8 to 24 hours.
It will also send a notification to the nearest iPhone that’s running on iOS 14.5 or later.
If you find an unknown AirTag in your belongings, you can tap your phone against it to get the serial number and information on how to disable it.
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In other news, the creators of a chilling new horror game say that the title is so disturbing they’ve been forced to censor it on PlayStation.
Apple has announced updates to AirTags following claims that the coin-sized tracking devices are being used to stalk people.
And TikTok has announced new rules, banning users who deadname or misgender others.
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