New York attorney general issues warning about potential AirTag misuse

Comments

• Reply 1 of 13

  Xed Posts: 2,588member

  February 16, 2022 6:13PM

  LOL Tile would kill for this publicity. Around for almost a decade before the AirTag and no ever gave a shit about their "bad actors".

  
• Reply 2 of 13

  anantksundaram Posts: 20,404member

  February 16, 2022 6:20PM

  This will invite negative reactions from the usual band of suspects, but so be it: Apple will either pull this product in the next few months, or modify protocols for its use. This is a given, since Apple’s stance on privacy as strategy demands it. 

  
  

  Comparisons to other makers of similar items are utterly irrelevant. None of them claims to be a paragon of privacy. 

  
• Reply 3 of 13

  igorsky Posts: 758member

  February 16, 2022 6:42PM

  anantksundaram said:

  Apple will either pull this product in the next few months...
  

  This is asinine.  If companies started pulling every product that a-holes misuse for nefarious purposes then we'd be back to playing with sticks and hunting for our own food with homemade spears.

  edited February 2022
• Reply 4 of 13

  Xed Posts: 2,588member

  February 16, 2022 6:46PM

  igorsky said:

  anantksundaram said:

  Apple will either pull this product in the next few months...
  

  This is asinine.  If companies started pulling every product that a-holes misuse for nefarious purposes then we'd be back to playing with sticks and hunting for our own food with homemade spears.

  And how many reports of thieves targeting iPod, iPhone and iPad users have we seen over the years, especially out of New York. I have yet to see Apple stop selling their iDevices because of articles about their theft are more appealing than articles about theft of other devices.

  
• Reply 5 of 13

  Xed Posts: 2,588member

  February 16, 2022 7:21PM

  anantksundaram said:

  This will invite negative reactions from the usual band of suspects, but so be it: Apple will either pull this product in the next few months, or modify protocols for its use. This is a given, since Apple’s stance on privacy as strategy demands it. 

  
  

  Comparisons to other makers of similar items are utterly irrelevant. None of them claims to be a paragon of privacy. 

  Your comment reminds me of the marketing and legal teams for the Tucker Torpedo that were against safety features like the seat belts, padded dashboard, and windshield with shatterproof glass that could pop out in a collusion. All safety measures to protect occupants, but these "so-called experts" felt that showing that an automobile had safety features would be an indication that it was unsafe. Like you, I'm sure they felt like they were doing the right thing for Tucker but it's pretty lame logic in the face of reality.
  
  Of course, Tucker didn't survive as car company, but that's for different reasons, but all their safety features and a lot more have become a standard over the decades. Apple is simply leading the way and will continue to improve. If you think the AirTag is going to crumble like the Tucker Torpedo then we have very different views about reality.

  edited February 2022
• Reply 6 of 13

  80025 Posts: 175member

  February 16, 2022 8:17PM

  Just about everything and anything is subject to potential misuse. Let's not awfulize this, Letty.

  edited February 2022
• Reply 7 of 13

  lkrupp Posts: 10,557member

  February 16, 2022 8:48PM

  anantksundaram said:

  This will invite negative reactions from the usual band of suspects, but so be it: Apple will either pull this product in the next few months, or modify protocols for its use. This is a given, since Apple’s stance on privacy as strategy demands it. 

  
  

  Comparisons to other makers of similar items are utterly irrelevant. None of them claims to be a paragon of privacy. 

  Well then maybe Apple should stop declaring itself to be a paragon of privacy and just say, “Hey user, you’re on your own with our products, just like everybody else." Would that satisfy you?

  
• Reply 8 of 13

  anantksundaram Posts: 20,404member

  February 17, 2022 12:22AM

  lkrupp said:

  anantksundaram said:

  This will invite negative reactions from the usual band of suspects, but so be it: Apple will either pull this product in the next few months, or modify protocols for its use. This is a given, since Apple’s stance on privacy as strategy demands it. 

  
  

  Comparisons to other makers of similar items are utterly irrelevant. None of them claims to be a paragon of privacy. 

  Well then maybe Apple should stop declaring itself to be a paragon of privacy and just say, “Hey user, you’re on your own with our products, just like everybody else." Would that satisfy you?

  Nope. The opposite.
  

  
• Reply 9 of 13

  lkrupp Posts: 10,557member

  February 17, 2022 2:16AM

  When will the first class action lawsuit be filed? Evil Apple completely disregards the safety of their customers. You know it’s coming. Tort lawyers are preparing their filings as we post.

  
• Reply 10 of 13

  badmonk Posts: 1,302member

  February 17, 2022 4:19AM

  anantksundaram said:

  This will invite negative reactions from the usual band of suspects, but so be it: Apple will either pull this product in the next few months, or modify protocols for its use. This is a given, since Apple’s stance on privacy as strategy demands it. 

  
  

  Comparisons to other makers of similar items are utterly irrelevant. None of them claims to be a paragon of privacy. 

  Not sure your logic follows, since stalking is a crime and attention has been brought to this issue.  The comments of the companies are irrelevant— just their use and attention to the prevention of stalking.

  
• Reply 11 of 13

  anoylla Posts: 39member

  February 17, 2022 5:19AM

  «A woman was able to discover an AirTag in her vehicle's trailer hitch thanks to Apple's anti-stalking features, leading to a man's arrest.»

  
• Reply 12 of 13

  verne arase Posts: 460member

  February 18, 2022 6:44PM

  anantksundaram said:

  This will invite negative reactions from the usual band of suspects, but so be it: Apple will either pull this product in the next few months, or modify protocols for its use. This is a given, since Apple’s stance on privacy as strategy demands it. 

  
  

  Comparisons to other makers of similar items are utterly irrelevant. None of them claims to be a paragon of privacy. 

  Snork ... good one.
  
  Bad actors have used the telephone to advance criminal activities since its inception - let's ban all remote communications.
  
  While we're at it, those mobile vehicles make escaping from crime scenes more effective - let's get rid of those too.
  
  Apple as a company likes to insure the privacy of its users - it's a selling point of their devices.
  
  Although they've made the best effect thus far to protect people from stalkers - forgive me if I haven't seen any competitors even make the effort - they aren't Apple's customers. Apple end-to-end encrypts iMessages, but still allow non-encrypted SMS messages from other users. They're not on a tear to convert the world to their privacy-centric point of view - they just want to protect their own customers (which they have to the best of their ability).
  
  The New York AG should be castigated for singling out Apple who has done something about stalking, while ignoring competitors who have not.
  
  Politics as usual, and a prime example of why politicians shouldn't be regulators.

  edited February 2022
• Reply 13 of 13

  anoylla Posts: 39member

  February 19, 2022 5:00PM

    An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking  

   
  

  
  

  edited February 2022