AirTag: New York Attorney General alerts consumers of ‘tracking threat’ using Apple’s device

New York Attorney General Letitia James is the latest public official to voice concerns over the potential threats caused by the malicious use of the AirTag. The consumer alert comes just a week after Apple announced new and upcoming updates to address people’s concerns over unwanted tracking using its product.

Reports of unknown AirTags being found in cars and other belongings are starting to pile over the last few months. There have been reports from different locations in the United States where people are finding AirTags that do not belong to them hidden somewhere in their car. Most of them believe that the tracker is hidden in inconspicuous parts of their cars, so the culprits track where they live, possibly stealing their vehicles later on.

James took note of similar reports, adding that, in some cases, victims do not find an AirTag in their belongings but continue to receive notifications that their location is being shared with an unknown party. “Tracking people without their awareness or consent is a serious felony and will not be tolerated by my office,” James said. “I urge all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their belongings and follow the tips provided by my office to stay safe.”

The New York Attorney General also provided six points on how consumers can better protect themselves from potential tracking threats using AirTag. James reminded New Yorkers to be wary of “unfamiliar beeping,” which refers to the sound an AirTag makes when it detects it is far away from the Apple device where it was activated.

James also advised consumers to watch out for iPhone notifications that read “Item Detected Near You,” which could be caused by an unknown AirTag nearby. However, this will only apply to people using an iPhone or iPad. Android users can download the Tracker Detect app, which Apple launched specifically to help non-Apple customers to check if a lost or unknown AirTag is near them.

Last week, Apple announced it is working on releasing new Find My features, including Precision Finding that will be supported on iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13. It will give users an approximate distance and direction to help them in easily finding an unknown AirTag in their surroundings. It is one of the updates planned for the Find My app, and AirTag is planned to launch later this year.

Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash