It’s natural to read about the technology behind AirTag and be concerned about privacy and security, especially as the devices are so small and can be easily placed into someone’s pocket or attached to a vehicle without their knowledge.
The good news, however, is that Apple has put security and privacy at the forefront of AirTag’s design, in what the company says was built from the “ground up to keep location data private and secure”.
Unlike tags from some of the competition, Apple does not store personal information inside of AirTag, such as location data and history, and because communication with the Find My app is end-to-end encrypted, only the owner of the device will be able to access its precise location.
Apple has also fitted the device with a range of proactive features, designed to discourage and eliminate unwanted or illegal tracking. For instance, Bluetooth signal identifiers transmitted by AirTag rotate frequently to prevent unwanted location tracking, whilst iOS devices can detect an AirTag that’s not with its owner, and send an alert to the user if an unknown or unregistered AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time.
What’s even more useful is that, for those without iOS devices, AirTags which are separated from their owners for an extended period of time will play an alert to draw some attention to it, and users can tap AirTags with their iPhone or NFC-capable device, and Apple will offer instructions on disabling the unknown AirTag, rendering its tracking useless.
The truth is that Apple will no doubt have to go much further to convince parents and those skeptical of security on the AirTag system – and a series of advertisements have already been put together to demonstrate how the AirTag product works. For those struggling to get to grips with the concept of AirTag, Rene Ritchie has a comprehensive guide to its security.
What are your thoughts on AirTags? Let us know and check back soon for more.
