AirTag safety
In the AirTag, Apple has created an inexpensive and discreet tracking device with amazing capabilities. Because AirTags use the “Find My”-network, they can be used to track location globally. As privacy advocates immediately pointed out, this is a powerful tool in the hands of stalkers and abusers.
By empowering anyone to track these tags anywhere in the world at a cost of only thirty dollars, Apple have essentially created an new threat for people who may find themselves targeted.
If police wanted to use a tracking device like this, they would probably need a warrant.
Apple, in response to the obvious problem, created a system for notifying people of a nearby unknown AirTag.
The initial system has some flaws. The most-obvious being that this notification system only works with Apple devices, so a targeted person with an Android (or no smart phone on them at all) would never receive these notifications.
Some time after starting to sell AirTags, and after some (predictable) stories of the tags' misuse for stalking behavior, Apple released an Android app called Tracker Detect which will notify users of nearby tags.
Many flaws still remain. Targeted people may not be aware that they need to install detector software. They may not be able to locate or remove the tag after notification. The notification may arrive too late, after too much location information has been revealed.
In my opinion, Apple's strategy here is philosophically flawed. By putting the onus on the victim to identify and respond to the threat of a powerful spying device, they are making it harder for stalking victims to stay safe. While it may be neat to be able to see your dog's real-time location or to find your lost keys, it feels like a poor trade-off.