Apple has released an updated security guide amid ongoing concerns about the company’s recently released AirTag devices . The tech giant quietly launched the security portal a few weeks ago. The Personal Security Guide for users offers many tips on how users can keep their personal data safe.
AirTags are designed to locate lost items using the powerful Find My network developed by Apple itself. They are small button-shaped items that can be placed on the keys or in the wallet, and can be located at any time through a specific application on the iPhone or any of the brand’s devices.
It is suspected that it has been used to track people
However, in the months since AirTags have been on sale, many users have found evidence that the devices have been misused to track people, as the device is continuously connected to the network and sending the location.
This new Apple Personal User Security Guide offers support for people who are concerned that something as personal as information about where they are, could be circulating on the network without any control or guarantee of privacy. for de side of the company.
The guide claims to offer step-by-step instructions on how users can protect themselves from potential privacy breaches. Its AirTags section shows shoppers what to do if they receive an unwanted AirTag alert, a notification that appears on the iPhone screen. It also details what to do if someone hears or finds an AirTag that doesn’t belong to them. The guide shows Android users how they can download an app that will help alert users of unauthorized AirTags.
Privacy and security issues
Last week, it became known that several women had received notifications on their smartphones that several AirTags were tracking them without their knowledge or permission. One of the victims said she found an AirTag taped to the inside of her bag.
Cybersecurity experts agree on a key issue: If a device is created that is used to track personal objects, it is also creating a perfect tool to track people , legally or illegally. Apple has assured that, at the same time that it launched the AirTags, it created several security measures to protect users, but recognized that those measures still had to be perfected.
Tracking devices similar to AirTags, like Tile, don’t come with security measures against tracking people, though Tile has said they are working on an update to their protocols.
When Apple released AirTags in April 2021, it made it clear that they were designed to track objects, not people. The guide also teaches users how privacy and security can be protected.
