Apple and Google hit back at AirTag stalking with new proposed industry specification
Apple and Google called the specification the 'first-of-its-kind'
Apple is the number one 'ride or die stock': Lou Basenese
Public Ventures President and chief market strategist Lou Basenese discusses what investors should be focused on ahead of the Fed's May meeting on 'Varney & Co.'
Tech giants Apple and Google are hitting back at stalking via AirTag or similar tools with a new proposed specification they unveiled Tuesday.
The new proposed industry specification from the two companies "will allow Bluetooth location-tracking devices to be compatible with unauthorized tracking detection and alerts across iOS and Android platforms," Apple and Google said in a press release. It includes "best practices and instructions" for companies making location-tracking devices.
The companies described the just-announced specification as the "first-of-its-kind." They submitted it to the Internet Engineering Task Force.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 14, 2022: Discussion of Apple AirTags by Washington Post reporter Geoff Fowler in San Francisco, California Monday March 14, 2022. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The capability is important for "improving the privacy and safety of individuals in the circumstance that those accessories are used to track their location without their knowledge or consent," a draft of the proposed industry specification said.
FOX Business previously reported on authorities in various places in the U.S. seeing some instances of people using AirTags for stalking others or following vehicles without consent.
AIRTAG STALKING: NEW APPLE DEVICE INVOLVED IN SUSPICIOUS TRACKING INCIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
"We built AirTag and the Find My network with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking – a first for the industry – and we continue to make improvements to help ensure the technology is being used as intended. This new industry specification builds upon the AirTag protections, and through collaboration with Google results in a critical step forward to help combat unwanted tracking across iOS and Android," Apple Vice President of Sensing and Connectivity Ron Huang said.
The Apple logo is illuminated at a store (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader / AP Newsroom)
Lettering with the logo of Google is stuck on a glass pane in the press center. (Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Tracker Detect, an app rolled out a couple years ago by Apple that is meant to look out for unwanted tracking, is available for Android users.
While drafting the proposed specification, Apple and Google said they sought input from those who make Bluetooth location-tracking devices and other groups focused on safety. Support has been given by Samsung, Tile and several other companies, according to the release.
AUSTRALIAN TRAVELERS WARN ABOUT APPLE AIRTAG TRACKER PLACED IN LUGGAGE IN BALI: REPORT
By year-end, Apple and Google plan to put out a "production implementation" of the specification, according to the release. They will do so after fielding feedback from interested parties during a comment period.
AirTags have been out for roughly two years. The quarter-sized gadgets were designed to help "keep track of and find items that matter most" like bags and keys.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | APPLE INC. | 239.59 | +2.26 | +0.95% |
| GOOGL | ALPHABET INC. | 171.49 | +2.54 | +1.50% |
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE