Photo: Apple
While the AirTag was launched by Apple as a device whose purpose was pretty simple – to help users track their belongings, malicious actors out there discovered a nefarious use in record time.
The AirTag has rapidly become a very common gadget used for stalking, with people all over the world discovering the device being hidden in hard-to-spot areas, including behind the license plates of their cars.
While Apple has already tweaked the AirTag to make it easier for users to determine when they are tracked, stalking cases continued to make the headlines in the last few months. And unfortunately, a few stalkers ended up being arrested and eventually charged despite the obvious wrongdoings.
A recent case from Memphis, Tennessee, however, should help restore faith in humanity.
51-year-old Joseph Martin secretly planted an AirTag into a woman’s car back in February, then used the device to keep track of her every month for several months. At one point, Martin sent the woman photos of herself, at which point she figured out somebody might be stalking her.
After thoroughly searching her car, she discovered an AirTag and filed a complaint with the police. Josh Martin was eventually arrested in August, and he is now being charged with electronic tracking of a vehicle, stalking, and harassment.
The man could now spend years in prison if found guilty, with the first appearance in court scheduled for next week.
Needless to say, this isn’t a singular case, and criminals across the world continue to use AirTags to secretly monitor their victims.
The easiest way to figure out if you’re being tracked or not is to either keep an eye on your iPhone – the device can automatically notify users when an AirTag is moving with them – or, if you use an Android, to install the dedicated app from the Google Play Store and scan for nearby trackers.
While Apple has already tweaked the AirTag to make it easier for users to determine when they are tracked, stalking cases continued to make the headlines in the last few months. And unfortunately, a few stalkers ended up being arrested and eventually charged despite the obvious wrongdoings.
A recent case from Memphis, Tennessee, however, should help restore faith in humanity.
51-year-old Joseph Martin secretly planted an AirTag into a woman’s car back in February, then used the device to keep track of her every month for several months. At one point, Martin sent the woman photos of herself, at which point she figured out somebody might be stalking her.
After thoroughly searching her car, she discovered an AirTag and filed a complaint with the police. Josh Martin was eventually arrested in August, and he is now being charged with electronic tracking of a vehicle, stalking, and harassment.
The man could now spend years in prison if found guilty, with the first appearance in court scheduled for next week.
Needless to say, this isn’t a singular case, and criminals across the world continue to use AirTags to secretly monitor their victims.
The easiest way to figure out if you’re being tracked or not is to either keep an eye on your iPhone – the device can automatically notify users when an AirTag is moving with them – or, if you use an Android, to install the dedicated app from the Google Play Store and scan for nearby trackers.
Google News