UNITED STATES: Apple and Google have teamed up to address the issue of unwanted tracking through Bluetooth devices that have become popular in recent years.
The two technology behemoths that created the iPhone and Android smartphones have proposed establishing guidelines for thwarting covert spying on Apple’s AirTag trackers and related devices.
Bluetooth devices like AirTags were created to help people locate lost items such as keys, luggage, and other commonly misplaced things.
However, these devices have also been used by stalkers to secretly track former love interests and others, raising concerns about the potential for unwanted tracking that require industry-wide action to solve.
The proposal submitted by Apple and Google has the support of Samsung, which sells the most Android smartphones worldwide, and other tracking products similar to AirTag, such as Tile, Chipolo, and Pebblebee.
Apple and AirTag want to have a strategy in place by the end of this year to counteract stealth tracking. The solution would be provided through software updates for iPhones and Android phones.
According to Google’s vice president of engineering for Android, Dave Burke, “Bluetooth trackers have created tremendous user benefits, but they also bring the potential of unwanted tracking,” and the industry must try to address this issue.
The National Network to End Domestic Violence’s Safety Net Project’s senior director, Erica Olsen, praised the initiative to establish an industry standard because she thinks it will help shield victims of abusive relationships and other people who have been the target of stealth technology.
According to Olsen, “These new standards will reduce opportunities for this technology to be abused and lessen the burden on survivors to find unwanted trackers.”
AirTag, which costs $30, has become popular since its 2021 release, enabling users to locate a wide variety of lost property.
With this partnership between Apple, Google, and other companies in the industry, users can now have greater peace of mind knowing that their privacy will be protected while using these helpful devices.
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