Photo: Lufthansa
After being misused by criminals across the world for all kinds of nefarious purposes, including stalking, Apple’s AirTag is once again in the middle of a global debate.
Lufthansa has recently announced that planting an AirTag inside checked-in luggage is no longer allowed, as the device needs to comply with the ICAO guidelines and, therefore, must be deactivated during the flight.
News that one of the world’s largest airlines decided to ban the AirTag went viral quite fast, with many users accusing the company of trying to avoid embarrassment when losing customers’ luggage.
On Twitter, however, the company said the decision has nothing to do with lost baggage, as Apple’s GPS tracker is “classified as dangerous and needs to be turned off” (the full response is embedded at the end of the article).
“According to ICAO guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations. Furthermore, due to their transmission function, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight if they are in checked baggage and cannot be used as a result,” Lufthansa said a few days ago.
But according to a new report citing a Lufthansa spokesperson, the AirTag is actually allowed within checked-in luggage. The company hasn’t banned the GPS tracker, the spokesperson was quoted as saying, and there’s absolutely no regulation in this regard, the official comment continued.
In other words, the AIrTag controversy seems to all be just a matter of miscommunication within the company, and if you want to plant a GPS tracker in your checked-in luggage, you’re free to do so.
On the other hand, with Lufthansa pointing to the current ICAO policies regarding AirTags within checked-in luggage, it’s very clear that the use of electronic devices must be further regulated to align with the latest innovations in the tech world.
As compared to phones and tablets, AirTags come with a CR2032 button cell battery, so they don’t pose a high risk of fire. The battery is replaceable and can’t be recharged, so turning off the device comes down to removing the battery altogether.
News that one of the world’s largest airlines decided to ban the AirTag went viral quite fast, with many users accusing the company of trying to avoid embarrassment when losing customers’ luggage.
On Twitter, however, the company said the decision has nothing to do with lost baggage, as Apple’s GPS tracker is “classified as dangerous and needs to be turned off” (the full response is embedded at the end of the article).
“According to ICAO guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations. Furthermore, due to their transmission function, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight if they are in checked baggage and cannot be used as a result,” Lufthansa said a few days ago.
But according to a new report citing a Lufthansa spokesperson, the AirTag is actually allowed within checked-in luggage. The company hasn’t banned the GPS tracker, the spokesperson was quoted as saying, and there’s absolutely no regulation in this regard, the official comment continued.
In other words, the AIrTag controversy seems to all be just a matter of miscommunication within the company, and if you want to plant a GPS tracker in your checked-in luggage, you’re free to do so.
On the other hand, with Lufthansa pointing to the current ICAO policies regarding AirTags within checked-in luggage, it’s very clear that the use of electronic devices must be further regulated to align with the latest innovations in the tech world.
As compared to phones and tablets, AirTags come with a CR2032 button cell battery, so they don’t pose a high risk of fire. The battery is replaceable and can’t be recharged, so turning off the device comes down to removing the battery altogether.
According to ICAO guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations. Furthermore, due to their transmission function, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight if they are in checked baggage and cannot be used as a result. /Ana
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) October 9, 2022
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