AirTag stalking is everyone’s problem

Another celebrity AirTag stalking story has hit Twitter. It’s not the first and it’s not just celebrities, but what can we learn from these stories? Just how vulnerable are we and how do we protect our personal privacy and safety when tens of millions of low cost personal BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) trackers will be sold this year?

Actress and writer, @HannahRoseMay, took to Twitter recently with a series of tweets warning others of the potential misuses of Apple’s popular AirTag personal trackers. According to her tweets, May received a “Find My” notification on her iPhone regarding an unknown AirTag tracking her while at an after hours event at Disneyland. The notification revealed that an AirTag (she found before driving back home) had been tracking her for over 2 hours. After finding and disabling the AirTag on her person, the concerning reality of stalkers being aided by low-cost, high-tech tracking devices Egan to set in. Hannah has been educating fans and fellow stalking targets on the pros and cons of Apple’s AirTags.

You may recall earlier this year when Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, Brooks Nader, found an unregistered AirTag had been slipped in her pocket in order to track her movements. Police reports and stories continue to be posted online from less famous but equally fearful women, exes, spouses and strangers. Some of these stories even involve vehicles being tracked back to the owner’s house and involve grand theft auto or worse. I wrote more about this in my article ‘What Happens When High-Tech Stalking Goes Mainstream’ found in the latest issue of Beverly Hills Times. If you suspect you’re being tracked by an AirTag, Tile, Galaxy SmartTag or a GPS tracker, there are basic steps you can take to stay safe:

• If you suspect you are being followed by a stranger, contact your local police department.
• If you suspect a member of your household or family is stalking you, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
• Contact groups such as Coalition Against Stalkerware, whose members advocate for digital rights, offer support, and work to eliminate stalkerware that perpetuates criminal behavior.
• Apple has updated their Personal Safety User Guide, to includes a section about AirTags and actions you can take if you discover a stray AirTag.

Other than a Yorkie-Pro wireless intrusion detector, there are currently no solutions that allow users to instantly detect nearby unknown or unregistered personal trackers. Individuals trying to protect their privacy or whereabouts must wait until their iPhone notifies them they are potentially being stalked. This time is randomized and artificially delayed by Apple so that thieves in possession of a stolen item (with an AirTag attached) cannot immediately disable it. However, it can take several hours and for Android users, it requires a specific BLE detection app to be running in the background at all times.

Until Apple figures out the best balance between usability for users and safety for everyone else, these stories will continue to surface. But if personal security is your job or your passion, consider a dedicated BLE detector. Call our BVS sales engineers at 732-548-3737 or sales@bvsystems.com for more information.