The companies together have submitted a draft with specifications
that will require all Bluetooth location-tracking devices to alert users of any
unauthorized tracking on both iOS and Android devices.
Feedback from device manufacturers as well as various safety
and advocacy groups has been integrated into the specifications, the companies
said, adding that have support from companies such as Samsung Electronics and
consumer electronics company Tile.
Since the launch of AirTags, privacy experts and law
enforcement have said some people use it for criminal or malicious purposes.
AirTags are intended to be slipped into or attached to keys,
wallets, backpacks and other items so people can find them when they are lost.
In an effort to boost privacy, Apple in 2021 had launched an
Android detector app to help users scan nearby AirTags or other similar item
trackers that might be travelling with them without their knowledge.
Earlier in 2020, Apple and Google also said they would ban
the use of location tracking in apps that use a contact tracing system meant to
help slow the spread of the coronavirus. ©
Reuters