To all Android users: there is an Open Source app to detect AirTags.<p>Google Play: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.seemoo.at_tracking_detection.release" rel="nofollow">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.seemoo.at_t...</a>
F-Droid: <a href="https://f-droid.org/packages/de.seemoo.at_tracking_detection/" rel="nofollow">https://f-droid.org/packages/de.seemoo.at_tracking_detection...</a>
Source code: <a href="https://github.com/seemoo-lab/AirGuard" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/seemoo-lab/AirGuard</a>
It's nice of Apple to have iPhones alert you in cases like this, but it's a major issue that there's no easy way for an Android user to get the same notification.
Seems like Apple should be easily able to identify the original owner of the AirTag. Do they do this if the police request this [or substitute whatever lawful mechanism]? I assume this kind of tracking activity is criminal but am not sure.
"Sexton said tracking someone and their location without their permission is criminal and with the holidays approaching more crimes like this are starting to appear."<p>I assume I'm just missing something obvious, but why is tracking someone without permission happening more now that the holidays are approaching? I can't come up with anything that seems likely.
There's mention below of a forthcoming Android app to alert people that they're being followed by AirTags, but no mention I saw of any protection for those who simply do not own a smartphone. The thought that people who likely have chosen to purposely opt out entirely from the always-connected ecosystem are now subject to unwanted tracking with no way to opt out or even be informed is frankly despicable.
On the one hand, it's good that she got the alert.<p>On the other, it sounds like the alert was not timely enough to allow her to prevent the AirTag from disclosing her home location.
I do not own an Apple phone. Does the app to track or report on AirTags automagically get installed?<p>If not, how did she detect it?<p>Asking because in the article "At the time, she did not even know what an Air Tag was until she received a notification that she was being tracked." this implies that she did not use, therefore did not need the Air Tag app, so then how did she detect it?
When airtag was initially released, it only beeps after the airtag left the owner for 3 days, later Apple updated it to the following.<p>It beeps after the thief gets to somewhere that thief frequently stays with, such as home, school, office etc.. I found this out with my kid as there is no difference between thief took your item, or stalking someone, as oppose to tracking a family member who's aware of it. It functions the same way. In the case of tracking a family member or a friend, it beeps in kid's classroom or office which is quite annoying even though the person tracked is fully aware of the tracking.<p>With a simple update, I'd hop Apple allows a family member or who's aware of the tracking but not the owner of the airtag be able to tap the "Moving with you.." message and acknowledge it so the warning message and aritag beeping doesn't continue yet not disabling the tracking (it currently allows to disable the tracking). Not sure why Apple hasn't thought about it or didn't want to do that, as Apple PR insisted that airtag is for tracking items not human but many have found airtag used in tracking human (e.g. family, friend) for safety reason more convenient and cheaper than an Apple watch.
This seems more like a jealous spouse or something. A real sinister third party whose intent was to rob her could use something more discreet than a consumer friendly device that is explicitly made to try and prevent this kind of bad press.
Apple needs to be held accountable for this, it's the only way to stop stuff like this happening. She'd never have know were she an android user. How many people has this happened to without their knowledge?
<a href="https://github.com/seemoo-lab/openhaystack/" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/seemoo-lab/openhaystack/</a><p>As the protocol is already reverse engineered you can actually just DIY a tracker even more unnoticeable than Airtags that generates new keys periodically to trick the Iphones into thinking it's a new Airtag that never saw before.
Weirdly I had the notification about an airtag found moving with me a few days ago.<p>I know the airtag is there or at least I know of one thats there! For some reason it's not on my "find my" under the family account. Also I've never had the notification come up when my partner is around only when I was on my own.
>Sexton said tracking someone and their location without their permission is criminal and with the holidays approaching more crimes like this....<p>Ironic, since IIRC Apple phones were the very first to follow people's locations without their permission.
Airtag technology should be illegal. The woman was being tracked BY HER OWN IPHONE. Remember it is the iphone providing the geolocation and the internet connection.<p>The airtag technology uses peoples iphones without authorization as part of the airtag mesh.