Apple isn’t the only tracking tag company making it harder for stalkers and thieves to track you. Tile is rolling out a “Scan and Secure” feature in its Android and iOS apps to help you detect unwanted tags. Use it and the app will check if any suspicious Tile tags (or Tile-equipped devices) are traveling with you. The process can take up to 10 minutes, but you won’t need a Tile account or hardware.
If there are unwanted trackers, you’ll receive safety advice. Tile stressed that it will only identify the owners of misused tags through a “properly issued court order.” The company also made clear this was just a “first step” for improved safety, and that it would team up with advocacy groups and experts to refine its efforts.
Tag-based stalking has been possible for a while, but Apple’s AirTags underscored the problem — it’s all too easy for someone to slip a tracker into your coat or car and follow your movements without your knowledge or consent. Apple already has alerts for unwanted trackers, but it’s promising both earlier, more prominent alerts as well as a precision finding feature to help people remove unwanted tags. In that regard, Tile is simply following suit by upgrading its privacy measures.
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