We talked in a previous article about The ugly side of trackers And how can it be misused to spy and monitor others? Apparently, Apple finally listened to our point of view and partnered with Google to develop a common standard to address safety concerns and risks that may arise from the misuse of various tracking devices on Android and iOS and improve privacy and security in circumstances. In which these extensions are used to track others without their knowledge or consent.


Apple and Google

Apple said it's working with Google right now to limit unwanted tracking of people by Bluetooth devices like AirTags and other tracking tools, which include the Tile Pro, Jiobit Smart Tag, Chipolo Card Spot, and others. Together, the two companies presented a draft of the specifications that companies with Bluetooth tracking devices will be required to support in order to protect users and alert them of any unauthorized tracking on both iPhone and Android.

This collaboration represents the latest effort to address the privacy and safety concerns that have come to light with tracking devices that were originally designed to help monitor and find lost and misplaced luggage, wallets or keys, but have been misused and become a means of monitoring others. And spy on them Since the launch of AirTags, privacy and law enforcement experts have said that some people are using them for malicious purposes, and Apple has indicated that it is aware of parties trying to misuse AirTags for malicious or criminal purposes.


 tracking tools

Until now, if you were an iPhone user and someone tried to track you by placing an AirTag between your items, the iPhone will immediately alert you, but if you are a green bubble (Android users account for 70%) then you will be alerted after three days, so “Bluetooth trackers have provided tremendous benefits to users but also the potential for unwanted tracking,” said Dave Burke, Vice President of Android Engineering at Google. This requires industry-wide action to solve this problem.”

Similar to previous cooperation to combat Corona, and in order to address the misuse of various tracking devices, Apple and Google proposed new industrial specifications, which is a set of best practices and protocols that would improve the ability to discover user purposes and also fix the problem of espionage and tracking of others, not only on the iPhone. iPhone, but it will be the same on Android phones, and the good thing is that many companies that have tracking devices, such as Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, Eufy Security, Pebblebee, and others, have expressed their support for that draft.

Finally, Apple and Google submitted proposed specifications titled "Detect unwanted trackersas a draft by the Internet Engineering Task Force, a leading standards development organization. Comments will be accepted over the next three months. Next, Google and Apple will create a specification that tracker makers can use and the companies plan to implement it in upcoming versions of iOS and Android.

What do you think of this cooperation to prevent the misuse of tracking tools, and will it bear fruit? Tell us in the comments

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