Help! Found AirTags without anti-stalk speakers on eBay and Etsy
A number of sellers recently offered custom AirTags that would make it easier to stalk people.
Read on after the ad.
Apple announced its first tracker last year: the AirTag. The device immediately caused concern. The tracker could be used by stalkers to chase people. Apple built some clever gadgets into the AirTag to minimize the chance of these dreaded stalking practices. For example, the tracker has a built-in speaker, which will beep loudly when the paired iPhone disappears from the radar.
The beeping speaker prevents someone from secretly putting an AirTag in your bag. According to PCMag however, custom AirTags recently appeared on eBay and Etsy, under names like “Silent AirTag.” The sellers willfully disconnected the beeping speakers from the trackers. Without the speaker, it is suddenly very easy to use an AirTag as a stalk tool.
According to one of the sellers, there are no bad intentions behind the silent AirTags. “Several buyers were looking for an AirTag that they could hang on their bicycle, pet or electronic tool. That won’t work if he beeps constantly.” Another seller states that the silent AirTag “prevents a thief from finding out where the tracker is hidden”. The modified trackers have since disappeared from both websites.
Apple is doing everything it can to fight AirTag stalkers
Apple understands the concerns about the security of AirTags. The manufacturer therefore does everything it can to prevent people from using the trackers as stalking devices. For example, Apple released an official Tracker Direct app in the Google Play Store in December, so that Android users are also aware if there is an AirTag nearby.
Since iOS 15.2, there’s a way for iPhone users to find out if you’re carrying a clogged AirTag. This can be done via the Find My app, with the ‘Objects that can track me’ button. When you press the button, the iPhone searches for unknown objects nearby that can be used to track your location. These can be AirTags, but also other items that are compatible with the Find My network.
Also read: iOS 15.2: how to track hidden AirTags that may be following you
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