Google is working on implementing a feature that allows Android users to be alerted to the proximity of unknown Bluetooth devices, such as the AirTag of Apple. This new protection tool will be integrated into the Mobile Phone Security and Emergency menu section.
The protection will be included under the name “Unfamiliar device alerts”, according to specialist Mishaal Rahman, chief technical editor at Esper.
This function consists of the ability to locate nearby Bluetooth devices, in which case the user will be notified if one of them is located “approaching” them.
In addition, it is possible to enable and disable these alerts, and includes the option to re-scan next to the number of unknown devices already detected.
This new information comes after the media 9to5Google identified in March a set of lines of code in a compilation of the APK of a Google application that suggested such a feature.
The purpose of this tool is to take care of people from the use that can be made of devices such as Air Tag or similar to track users without consent. Thus, the system will alert if someone hid any such system in a wallet, object or similar to track their every move.
A few days ago, the case of a 19-year-old man who was arrested, accused of hiding an Apple Watch, was disseminated. in the vehicle of his ex-partner's car to track all his movements.
The incident occurred in Tennessee, United States and is another example of how technology is sometimes used to stalk people. In that case it was not an AirTag but a smartwatch, but the problem remains the same.
It should be noted that this new feature from Google to detect Bluetooth trackers will arrive after Tracker Detect, the Apple app launched in late 2021 that allows you to carry out the same functions also on Android devices.
How Tracker Detect works
To search and find objects ranging from a bag to a bicycle or a set of keys, all that is needed is a small tag, called an AirTag, which can be attached to the respective object.
Tracking is done through a phone with the “Search” application installed. AirTags are small (three centimeters in diameter), thin (0.8 centimeters), lightweight (11 grams). They are also durable, as the battery lasts more than a year, and they are also protected against water and dust.
To prevent it from being used for unwanted harassment or tracking, iPhone users receive a warning on the device's screen if the device detects a foreign AirTag in the vicinity.
To protect Android users, AirTags are configured to emit an audible warning signal when they are near someone who is not wearing an iPhone. However, the small speaker of the AirTag can easily be disabled for malicious purposes.
Probably as a result, Apple has a scanning application for AirTag called Tracker Detect, designed to protect users of Android devices from tracking attempts and harassment.
If Tracker Detect finds a foreign and unknown AirTag nearby, it can be instructed through the app to emit a sound to make it easier to locate. The application also contains instructions on how to disable third-party AirTags.
In addition, Apple explains in Tracker Detect how to read on an AirTag the serial number and any loss information stored by the owner. For this, the accessory uses NFC technology.
(With information from Europa Press)
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