Apple’s Air Tags, the tracking device to find items such as keys, is receiving a new sharing feature, according to The Verge. So far, Air Tags have only been able to be seen on one person’s account, but will now be able to be seen by up to five people.
Not only will this help households manage items in common, but it will also prevent false alarms caused by unknown Air Tags. As an anti-stalking measure, Apple notifies fellow iPhone users if an unknown air tag is in the vicinity and their registered owner is not present. However, this will mean accepting Air Tag invitations should only be done by people you trust.
Governments have already taken action to fight stalking from Air Tags. According to Fox News, Pennsylvania is planning on making using an Air Tag to track someone against their consent a misdemeanor.
Other tracker companies, such as Tile, have provided enhanced protections by disabling the anti-stalker features only if a user uploads a selfie and is subject to a $1 million if they use it for stalking.
Privacy advocates see trackers as overly invasive, as they could theoretically be used by the government to track your movements. However, phones are themselves trackers, as are many of the other electronics we use today. A balance between convenience and privacy is one of the main issues facing the electronics industry today.
