While Apple’s can be useful in helping to find lost belongings, since the tracker went on sale, critics that bad actors could use it to stalk people. Brooks Nader, a illustrated sports swimsuit model, claims someone secretly put an AirTag in his coat and tracked his movements for several hours.
Earlier this week, Nader was waiting alone for someone in a crowded bar in Tribeca with her coat on the chair behind her. She then visited some other bars with friends.
Nader, who shared her experience on Instagram Stories, said that as she walked home alone, her phone alerted her to the fact that “someone is tracking you and it’s been a while.” She then found the AirTag. Nader, who wasn’t aware of AirTags beforehand, called the incident “the scariest moment ever and I just want everyone to know it exists.”
It’s not the first time that AirTags have been used to track other people’s movements. The reports have about thieves using them to track and steal luxury cars. However, the Nader incident is of a high level and should draw more attention to the problem.
“We take customer safety very seriously and are committed to AirTag’s privacy and security. AirTag is designed with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking – a first in the industry – that inform users if an unknown AirTag might be with them and deter bad actors from using an AirTag for nefarious purposes,” said a spokesperson. Apple’s voice to Ploonge. “If users feel their security is at risk, they are encouraged to contact local authorities who may work with Apple to provide any available information about the unknown AirTag.”
Shortly after Apple released AirTag, it released the iPhone notification that Nader mentioned to let users know that someone can track them. In December, the company released an Android app called Tracker Detection, which alerts users to nearby AirTags that are far from their owner and may be on their person. However, as Find My is not part of Android, you need to know the app and install it to detect a hidden AirTag.
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