AirTag Fear – Digitization by VnExpress

In March, UK-based Laura was driving down the road when her iPhone suddenly alerted her that an Airtag was nearby. “I don’t know what the weapon was or what effect it had, but it was very shocking,” she said.

Laura then turned to the side of the road, confused. The iPhone shows where she is with a red dot on the side of the road. “I was shocked. After I calmed down, I went straight to my girlfriend’s house and we started looking at her car,” she said.

The two men open the car from the glove compartment, the hood to the chassis, behind the license plate. Eventually, they found a coin-sized device under the car’s floor mat. Laura doesn’t know how the air marking got on the car. She was divorced, but a few days ago her husband came to play with their son. She suspects Air Tag ordered it.

Apple released AirTag in April last year. This Bluetooth device comes in a variety of ways: to control keys, bags, cars, or anything else that can be lost or stolen. But now it has become a “gift” for those who like to hunt others.

“AirTag is a problem,” said Violet Alvarez, an expert at the Susie Lamplugh Trust, an organization dedicated to providing legal counsel to abuse victims. “The device is very small, unobtrusive and easy to use. It also requires no technical skills and is relatively inexpensive.”

Emma Pickering, executive director of the Immigrant Group, a domestic violence group, said scammers have often found spyware or special tracking devices on eBay or Amazon in the past. But whenever Air Tag appeared, it was much easier to “follow” others. “I’ve seen Air Tag being sold in supermarkets across the country and it’s easily available to buy with no restrictions. The public subconsciously normalizes it,” Ms Pickering said.

A spokeswoman for the Susie Lamplag Trust and refugee organization said they are regularly contacted by victims like Laura who are confused by Earthag’s emergency reports. Tracking is also different, for example storing in children’s bags, cars, purses…

In June, Irish actress Hannah Rose May tweeted a warning. After attending an event in Disneyland, California, she was about to go home at 2 a.m. when she found her area had been monitored with an air transmitter for two hours.

Sports Illustrated model Brooke Nader shared a similar experience when someone slipped an Air Tag into her jacket pocket at a New York restaurant. She described the experience as “a terrifying moment”.

According to Pickering, victims often guess who is spying on them but don’t report it to the authorities. As a result, AirTag is increasingly used for abusive behavior.

Apple has condemned the use of AirTag to track others. The company implements software that allows iOS and Android users to detect a small device around them and integrates chirp functionality with an Air Tag for tracking purposes.

However, Rory Innes, founder of Cyber ​​Helpline, thinks Apple should be held more accountable. “When you get an AirTag, you just have to throw it away. You can’t contact Apple to find out who’s following you, or there’s a way to turn it off,” Ince said.

In addition, the environmental risks are enormous, Innes said. He cites a study by Cyber. 94 percent of murders of women are covert, they are self-employed, cyber hotline, stalking and stalking.

“By disabling access to the airtag, hackers will know what you are doing. It makes it harder for someone who loses control to harm you,” Innes explained. “Victims should contact the police. Each AirTag has a unique identification number, making it easier for authorities to track down the perpetrator.”

Laura said she was being guarded by the police. The police investigated the case and found that her husband had followed him, but he was later fined only for disturbing the peace.

“I still have panic attacks, sometimes I just want to turn off my phone and do nothing. He did something I can’t believe. It’s not normal behavior,” Laura said.

Bao Lam (Consequences Nanny)