Geolocate lost objects, yes. people, no. Since the rise of connected beacons powered by Apple AirTags or Samsung Galaxy SmartTags in particular, small trackers have allowed many people to find their keys, bag, suitcase, etc. But they have also been used by people with bad intentions to use them to track people without their consent. And that is what the industry now wants to mobilize against.
In a press release, Apple and Google announced Tuesday that they have proposed a joint technology to “help combat the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices.” In other words, which is quite rare, the two giants are ready to team up to prevent their products from being used to locate people.
Until now, if you slipped an AirTag into your bag, you’d be quickly notified if you had an iPhone with a message that a tag “that doesn’t belong to you” was recording your movement. If you had an Android smartphone, you couldn’t get notifications unless you downloaded a specific app.
find some peace
This unique new feature will allow you to alert in the same way on iOS and Android. And it will affect many manufacturers, since Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, Pebblebee and eufy Security have given their support to the project. This specification, submitted to the Internet Engineering Task Force that develops standards, proposes to standardize practices and instructions for manufacturers who want to integrate the feature.
Thanks to this project, both at Apple and in the Californian neighbor, we hope to return to the function of connected trackers: “Give users the peace of mind to find their product (with) a set of features to discourage unwanted tracking,” he adds. Ron. Huang, his Apple counterpart in charge of detection and connectivity.
If everything is validated by the end of 2023, the new specification will be integrated into future Bluetooth beacons, running on iOS and Android, which will then be able to standardize their tracking alerts. In the meantime, talks will take place with device makers, security and advocacy groups.
Source: BFM TV
