Today Apple and Google jointly unveiled that they have partnered to address unwanted tracking through dedicated location tracking devices like Apple’s AirTag. These have famously been used to track people without their knowledge, and apparently it has come to a point where companies have finally felt the need to step in in some way.
By doing so it is presenting a proposed industry specification that will help combat the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices for unwanted tracking. This “first of its kind” specification will allow devices like AirTags to be compatible with “unauthorized tracking detection and alerts on Android and iOS.”
Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security and Pebblebee have already expressed their support for this draft specification, which offers guidance and best practices for manufacturers should they choose to incorporate such features into their products. This is a strong indicator that at least part of the industry is actually willing to commit to doing something about the problem, which is nice to see.
The draft specification created by Apple and Google will await review and comment in the next three months at the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). After that period, the companies will work together to address the feedback received and release a production implementation of the Unwanted Tracking Alerts specification later this year. This will then be supported in future versions of Android and iOS.
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