Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Apple
Apple launched the AirTag with a simple purpose in mind: to let customers track their devices, be they wallets, keys, or cars.
However, the AirTag ended up becoming a double-edged sword, as the small form factor and the way it works turned it into a stalker's favorite tool.
A 46-year-old man was arrested earlier this month after misusing the AirTag in the most horrible way.
It happened in Florida, where Azoy Cruz planted an AirTag into his boss's car. The device provided the man with permanent location information, letting him know precisely where the vehicle was parked at any given time.
The victim says he received an alert on his iPhone that an AirTag was moving with them but didn't know what the message meant. Days later, his daughter checked the notification and started looking for the AirTag in the vehicle. She eventually discovered a black magnetic case holding an AirTag.
The woman tried to connect to the tracker and got access to the last four digits of the owner's phone number, at which point the family started the detective work. The father looked in his iPhone's phonebook to search for potential matches and discovered a phone number whose last four digits were the ones indicated by the AirTag.
It belonged to one of his employees, so he filed a police report to investigate the car.
The officers contacted Apple to receive a confirmation that the AirTag indeed belonged to Azoy Cruze. A few days later, the iPhone maker revealed the AirTag owner's information, pointing to Azoy Cruz as the owner.
The police arrested the man, who is now facing an aggravated stalking charge. His explanation is laughable, as he told the police he was only test-driving the AirTag, as he wanted to see how it works before using it for other personal reasons.
Apple's AirTag is a pill-shaped tracker whose battery life can reach up to six months. It doesn't come with a built-in Internet connection but looks for nearby iPhones to communicate with the master device. It connects to iPhones in proximity to broadcast its location, so the owner can access the information in the Find My application on their smartphones. The AirTag can be hidden virtually anywhere, as its small form factor makes it difficult to see.
However, the device comes with anti-stalking protection, alerting nearby iPhone owners when moving with them. The potential stalking victims can't access the complete information about the owner, but based on the device's serial number, the police can request additional details from Apple. The iPhone maker looks up the account information and can eventually point to a suspect, helping law enforcement track down people who misuse the device.
Starting with Android 14, devices running Google's mobile operating system can also automatically detect nearby AirTags.
A 46-year-old man was arrested earlier this month after misusing the AirTag in the most horrible way.
It happened in Florida, where Azoy Cruz planted an AirTag into his boss's car. The device provided the man with permanent location information, letting him know precisely where the vehicle was parked at any given time.
The victim says he received an alert on his iPhone that an AirTag was moving with them but didn't know what the message meant. Days later, his daughter checked the notification and started looking for the AirTag in the vehicle. She eventually discovered a black magnetic case holding an AirTag.
The woman tried to connect to the tracker and got access to the last four digits of the owner's phone number, at which point the family started the detective work. The father looked in his iPhone's phonebook to search for potential matches and discovered a phone number whose last four digits were the ones indicated by the AirTag.
It belonged to one of his employees, so he filed a police report to investigate the car.
The officers contacted Apple to receive a confirmation that the AirTag indeed belonged to Azoy Cruze. A few days later, the iPhone maker revealed the AirTag owner's information, pointing to Azoy Cruz as the owner.
The police arrested the man, who is now facing an aggravated stalking charge. His explanation is laughable, as he told the police he was only test-driving the AirTag, as he wanted to see how it works before using it for other personal reasons.
Apple's AirTag is a pill-shaped tracker whose battery life can reach up to six months. It doesn't come with a built-in Internet connection but looks for nearby iPhones to communicate with the master device. It connects to iPhones in proximity to broadcast its location, so the owner can access the information in the Find My application on their smartphones. The AirTag can be hidden virtually anywhere, as its small form factor makes it difficult to see.
However, the device comes with anti-stalking protection, alerting nearby iPhone owners when moving with them. The potential stalking victims can't access the complete information about the owner, but based on the device's serial number, the police can request additional details from Apple. The iPhone maker looks up the account information and can eventually point to a suspect, helping law enforcement track down people who misuse the device.
Starting with Android 14, devices running Google's mobile operating system can also automatically detect nearby AirTags.
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