How the Apple AirTag Became a Gift to Stalkers

The AirTag was intended to help people find their keys. Instead, it has facilitated a boom in terrifying behaviors from abusers. 

Last year, Apple launched the AirTag — a wireless, Bluetooth device designed to keep track of items like keys, purses, cars, or anything else at the risk of being lost or stolen. But it has been a gift to stalkers. 

The technology is so small that it is basically unnoticeable. It is also extremely user-friendly. It requires no technical skills and is relatively cheap to purchase. 

Not to mention they are widely available. While a mind-boggling range of spyware is available on eBay or Amazon, the Apple brand is ubiquitous, part of everyday life. 

Women have been stalked by AirTags since they were launched. Some have found devices planted in children’s backpacks by ex-partners. Others have found AirTags slipped into their pockets or bags. Some stalkers have put them into the cars of the women they are stalking. 

Apple claims that the company takes the issue of stalking very seriously. The company designed an alert system that appears on your iPhone if an AirTag not registered to you is seen moving with you over time.

This is how many women have found out they are being tracked and stalked. 

The alert system, however, only works if the stalking victim has an iPhone. So in December 2021, eight months after AirTags were launched, Apple released Tracker Detect, an app that will alert you on an Android device – so long as you’re sufficiently informed and far-sighted to install the app and keep it active.

There have already been multiple court cases involved in stalking via AirTags. 

The AirTag also emits a warning chime after a while to alert anyone close by of its presence. Initially, the chime sounded after three days, but subsequently, this was shortened to a random time between eight and 24 hours.

Apple has been working to make the chime louder, as it can be especially difficult to hear on a busy street or if it is hidden somewhere such as under a car. They are also working to make the AirTag easier to find after you have received an alert, as some victims have not been able to locate the device they are being stalked via. 

There is also a lack of support for victims when it happens. Women’s rights experts and experts in violence against women have said the technology highlights how society treats women, and how little their safety is valued.