Google rolls out automatic AirTag alerts for Android in bid to prevent stalking

27 July 2023
You'll know when an AirTag is traveling with you and separated from its owner.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • nm6
  • 28 Jul 2023

Great! So if someone steals my car, the car tracking tag will notify the thief that it's there. It just makes no sense

    • C
    • Concerned
    • pLv
    • 28 Jul 2023

    Ideal for theives to check there's no trackers in stuff they have stolen.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • 70d
      • 28 Jul 2023

      derrr, 28 Jul 2023agree...this is a counterproductive move and may/will affec... moreHow can a manufacturer knows that you aren't a stalker? By asking if you're a stalker?

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • vGN
        • 28 Jul 2023

        erodhika94, 28 Jul 2023Google: Protecting you from unknown tracker Me: yes, and? ... moreYou can completely disable targeted ads on Android. Haven't seen one for years now. Plus, they even added a recent feature under Google settings: delete advertising ID (completely), instead of an advertising ID reset feature.

        Google has been making a fair number of changes, presumably due to EU pressure. But it is upto us users to setup things correctly.

          • d
          • derrr
          • 2xJ
          • 28 Jul 2023

          Diagon X, 28 Jul 2023Made to prevent theft or find misplaced items and then used... moreagree...this is a counterproductive move and may/will affect sales due to this, as people will see the product as a tracker for their personal items but can be disabled and therefore possibly useless with the chance of it being located and removed and possibly for the finders own use with the chance of it being found again but at negligible cost and identification to the finder. However the product may have a condition whereby it can be traced by the manufacturer under a certain conditions whereby the original owner would have to submit a request to locate.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • 81L
            • 28 Jul 2023

            "User safety and the prevention of unwanted location tracking is a top priority for Android. We are working in partnership with Apple to help finalize the joint unwanted tracker alert specification by the end of this year. At this time we’ve made the decision to hold the rollout of the Find My Device network until Apple has implemented protections for iOS." (blog.google)

            Starting with a lie to be debunked in the next sentences. Google cares more about protections for iOS than its own customers. Google left its own Android users unprotected from Apple Inc. trackers for years. Now Google denies its own Android users service for the sake of iOS. Google doesn't deserve money nor respect.

              Made to prevent theft or find misplaced items and then used for stalking, forcing the release of this new feature ergo making its intended function useless. We really can't have nice thing, huh?

                first they sell you a problem, then they sell you a solution

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • JmP
                  • 28 Jul 2023

                  kek, 28 Jul 2023More than anything, this will be used to evade theft protec... morePeople cant have nice things, there is no way to differ a stalker from a stolen item, so nono

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • 0vE
                    • 28 Jul 2023

                    erodhika94, 28 Jul 2023Google: Protecting you from unknown tracker Me: yes, and? ... moreIgnoring DNS adblocking

                    People should stop using crappy Adblock (and Adguard) and use Ublock Origin instead.

                    The latter doesn't get detected by Youtube due to how it works.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • EKp
                      • 28 Jul 2023

                      kek, 28 Jul 2023More than anything, this will be used to evade theft protec... moreExactly this defeats the purpose of leaving your airtag in your suitcase in case it gets lost or stolen, now all the crafty thief has to do is find the airtag and disable it and boom your back is gone

                        Google: Protecting you from unknown tracker
                        Me: yes, and?
                        Also google: tracking / spying anyone (not only android users) who are using internet, for targeted ads (even YouTube now will not allowing AdBlock, you can play only 3 videos with AdBlock enabled)

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 7k4
                          • 28 Jul 2023

                          I understand most of it. But I don't see how letting anybody disable your AirTag just because "they thought it was for stalking" is a good idea. Obviously, this is meant for scenarios where the AirTag person is not actually a stalker. It's like fixing one problem to create two more.

                          AirTags can be left anywhere for a number of reasons. I never liked this tech. It's extremely ripe for abuse. Dangerous, even.

                            • k
                            • kek
                            • GBh
                            • 28 Jul 2023

                            More than anything, this will be used to evade theft protection on places like airports.

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