In a rare collaboration, Apple and Google are teaming up to fight location-tracker stalking.
The companies have developed a feature that will warn both iOS and Android users when an unknown Bluetooth tracking device, like an Apple AirTag, is on their person.
Typically, such devices are designed to help people locate things like keys or a suitcase. But they can also be secretly used by criminals to track people's movement.
With the new capability, people will receive an alert that states “[Item] Found Moving With You,” regardless of the platform the device is paired with, Apple and Google said in a joint press release.
The alert will pop up solely for iOS or Android users that are moving with an item that is not theirs. In some cases the person could be borrowing a device, but when that’s not the case, they can see the name the tracker is listed under, play a sound to help locate it, and follow instructions to disable it.
In addition to AirTags, other foreign Find My accessories will prompt warnings. Other Bluetooth tag manufacturers like Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola, and Pebblebee have committed that future tags will be compatible, Apple and Google said.
This all comes as Apple faces a class-action lawsuit claiming stalkers are using its AirTag devices to track their victims. Over three dozen women and men filed the lawsuit in 2022, and three of them received word this past March that they can proceed with their claims.
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