Apple and Google have just jointly submitted a proposed specification to address the misuse of Bluetooth location tracking devices. A specification that will enable tracking devices to support unauthorized tracking detection and present relevant alerts on iOS and Android. Companies such as Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security and Pebblebee already support the proposal.
Equal parts comfort and safety
Ron Huang, vice president of Sensing and Connectivity at Apple, noted that AirTag and the Find network were built with proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking and that the new specification builds on these protections. For his part, Dave Burke, vice president of Android Engineering at Google, mentioned that Android will continue to develop robust safeguards and collaborate with industry to combat the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices.
“Apple launched AirTag to give users peace of mind in knowing where to find their most important items,” says Ron Huang. “We created AirTag and the Find My network with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking – an industry first – and we continue to make enhancements to help ensure the technology is used as intended.”
“This new industry specification builds on AirTag protections, and through collaboration with Google results in a critical step forward to help combat unwanted tracking across iOS and Android.”
Various security and defense groups were involved in the development of the specification. Always seeking to cover all the flanks in terms of the abuse of this technology and, even so, offering the convenience and versatility of being able to detect lost objects easily.
The proposed specification was submitted as a draft through the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a leading standards development organization. The draft will remain in the testing and commenting phase for three months and then both Apple and Google will act on the feedback received. Finally, the final implementation will occur at the end of the year and will arrive, through a software update, to both iOS and Android.
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