May 14, 2024 at 09:45AM
Google and Apple are introducing an anti-stalking feature for Android 6.0+ and iOS 17.5 to alert users if someone uses a Bluetooth tag to track them. It aims to address alleged misuse of tracking devices for stalking. Apple’s Find My network has a similar alert feature for AirTags, and the tech giants are collaborating on a universal standard for Bluetooth tracking devices.
Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
1. Google and Apple are collaborating on an anti-stalking feature for Android 6.0+ and iOS 17.5 that will issue alerts if a Bluetooth-based tracking device, such as AirTags, is detected and unpaired with the user’s device, indicating potential stalking.
2. This feature is an extension of the tech giants’ work on an industry-wide specification for Bluetooth tracking devices and is a response to allegations of stalkers using these trackers to harass and harm victims.
3. The anti-stalking mechanism will work with devices such as AirTags, Find My accessories, or other industry specification-compatible Bluetooth trackers.
4. While this move is seen as a positive step, there are concerns about the potential privacy implications of creating a tracking system that allows people to know the location and owner of all Bluetooth trackers.
5. Efforts to balance user privacy and stalker detection, as well as ensuring that physical trackers have mitigations that cannot be turned off, are seen as important considerations for the development of these anti-stalking features.
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