Since its launch, AirTag owners have discovered many uses for Apple's Bluetooth beacon. For example, there are those who leave aAirTagin their vehicles, in order to be able to track them in the event of theft. And in certain cases, the AirTag actually makes it possible to find a stolen car, thanks to the location system offered by Apple.
Recently, the American media NBC News relayed the story of a California resident.Philip Obando got up one morning and found his BMW missing. But because he had placed an AirTag inside the vehicle, he was able to track his BMW via Apple's Find My app.
While the vehicle was stationary at a gas station,Obando approached directly, proving that it was indeed his car thanks to a duplicate key. The thief ran away.
Why is it dangerous?
Fortunately, Obando was able to recover his stolen vehicle easily.However, things could have turned out differently. Indeed, instead of fleeing, the thief could have used a weapon.Therefore, it is best to call the police to report the vehicle stolen, or when it is located.
In an article published last year, the media Axios cites, for example, the Denver Police Department (United States), which“advises people not to attempt to recover their own stolen vehicle if they are able to pinpoint its location, given the safety concerns of confronting a suspect.”
As a reminder, what distinguishes the AirTag system from traditional GPS is that it uses Bluetooth technology to track lost objects. In essence, the AirTag emits a Bluetooth signal that is picked up by other Apple products. Then, this information is securely relayed to Apple, to allow the owner to have a location on the Find My application.
An equivalent on Android
And the good news is that a similar device iscurrently being deployed on Android. Like the system implemented by Apple, that of Google also relies on Bluetooth technology. As a result, it allows you to locate a lost device, even when it does not have an internet connection.
However, it's also important to note that AirTags and their Android equivalents were not designed to spy on people. In fact, when a person is followed by these Bluetooth beacons, they can receive an alert on their smartphone.
