Tile Adds Anti-stalk Software Following Apple’s Airtag

It is ideal for that chaotic who always loses his keys, but unfortunately it is less for people who do not want to be stalked. You can attach devices such as Tile and Airtag to all kinds of objects, but unfortunately this also turns out to be a good tool for stalkers or other malicious parties. Tile has decided to add anti-stalk software to its gadgets.

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The reason Tile chose this is not entirely out of the blue, as it has everything to do with the introduction of Apple’s answer to Tile: Airtag. This gadget was introduced last year and immediately caused a lot of questions. You cannot know that such a device is traveling with you. In any case, it is not a pleasant idea that someone who likes your car can learn where you live by attaching such a device, so that you lose both your car keys and your car after a break-in.

Apple also introduced an app so that people can check whether they are being tracked that way. Now Tile has come up with a similar solution, but in a separate section within the Tile app: Scan and Secure. Tile writes, “If you’re concerned about unwanted tracking, Scan and Secure is a simple tool you can use to determine if you have any unknown Tiles or Tile-compatible devices traveling with you. You don’t need to have a Tile account or share part of the Tile network to use this feature. It is accessible to everyone, whether you are an iPhone or Android user. Download the Tile app (or if you already have it, make sure you have the latest version) and the app will ask you to change your permission settings for this feature to work.”

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Although it is of course good that the tech companies that introduce this type of trackers to the world are thinking about the possible consequences that the devices can have, there are still many snags. For example, it takes ten minutes to actively scan the environment for these types of devices, and you have to turn this on manually. So the app will not automatically tell you that you are being tracked. Apple’s AirTag can beep if it is away from its ‘owner’ for a long time, but that can take up to 24 hours and then any damage is probably already done.

Moreover, it is a bit annoying if you do not use these types of devices yourself: if you are afraid of being stalked or followed, then as an Android user you have to download two apps and also regularly perform a manual scan (which again is not recommended if you are on public transport, for example). It is therefore not exactly a watertight system to protect people against these kinds of practices, but it is good that in any case work is being done on solutions that could possibly help.

Do you use Tile or another tracker? Leave it in the comments below this article.