AirTag, Apple introduces the first anti-stalking measures in the beta 4 of iOS 15.4

After growing concerns about unwanted tracking of people resulting from illicit attempts to use its AirTags, Apple has already announced in recent weeks its intention to introduce additional anti-stalking measures, some more immediate, others that will arrive over the next few months. .

With the fourth beta of iOS 15.4, released in recent days, Apple has introduced a new notice that is shown during the configuration of an AirTag in which it is emphasized that the tracker is designed exclusively for
keep track of the location of objects owned by the user, and not for other purposes:

Using AirTags to track the location of other people without their consent is considered a crime in many areas of the world. AirTag is designed in such a way that it can be detected by victims and allows law enforcement to request information about the owner’s identity.

A sort of “disclaimer”, therefore, a due deed in which Apple warns that the use of AirTags for other purposes is illegal and will have criminal repercussions.

In addition, in this beta, Apple also seems to have fixed a bug that was causing confusion about unwanted tracking, particularly from AirPods that could cause a display to appear. “Unknown accessory warning”. Other changes have been made to the Find My app where there is no longer the option to disable “Safety warnings on objects” replaced by voices “Customize Where’s Notification” And “Customize Tracking Notifications”.

Currently, both of these options redirect to notification options for the Find My app but it’s possible that there may be even more detailed settings in the future.

Apple had also already updated the Unwanted Tracking Support article on its official website to communicate the security features built into AirTag, AirPods, and Where’s network accessories. This page now includes additional explanations on which Find My network accessories can trigger an unwanted tracking alert, more images to provide specific examples of the alerts, and up-to-date information on what to do after receiving an alert, including instructions to deactivate. an AirTag, AirPods, or a Where’s Network accessory.

Apple, as mentioned, is also evaluating a series of updates that will be introduced in the coming months. Among these, the “Precise location” to pinpoint the position of an unknown AirTag, the “Displaying an alert with sound”the “Redefining the warning logic of unwanted traces” and the “Changing the AirTag Sound” in order to make them stronger and allow you to find unknown AirTags more easily.