What Happened
These false alerts are being sounded even though the users are not likely tracked, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.Some iPhone users have reportedly begun to receive these false alerts in the middle of the night, leading to confusion and concern.
These alerts share a similar pattern—straight red lines radiating out from the user’s location, the Journal reported.
An Apple spokesperson was quoted by the Journal as saying they could have been triggered by iPhones receiving area Wi-Fi signals that confuse the device’s location services or by AirTags of other users.
Why It Matters
Apple released the AirTags Bluetooth trackers in April 2021, finding use on items like wallets, bags or bicycles.However, concerns related to stalking and the potential misuse of AirTags led to Apple introducing alerts to discourage unwanted tracking the following year.
Apple also introduced an app for Android OS made by Alphabet Inc. to help detect stealthily placed AirTags.
Too many false alarms could desensitize people and could place them in even more danger, according to Adam Dodge, the CEO of EndTab—an organization that trains victim-serving organizations about tech-enabled stalking and harassment—according to a report from The Verge.
