Android Is Making It Easier To Find Unknown Trackers To Prevent Stalking

Google is rolling retired 2 caller updates to its chartless locator alerts characteristic that should make it easier for Android instrumentality owners to observe unfamiliar trackers, nan institution announced connected Wednesday. Introduced successful July 2023, nan accusation characteristic automatically sends notifications if an unwanted Bluetooth locator is stepping pinch you.

The first update lets Android telephone owners temporarily extremity sending location updates to nan Find My Device web if an chartless compatible locator is detected. Google will region these updates for up to 24 hours, truthful your location will nary longer beryllium visible to whoever could beryllium monitoring your location via nan tag.

Second, anybody who receives an chartless locator alert will beryllium tin to find nan unwanted Find My Device-compatible locator utilizing nan “Find Nearby” feature. Once you’ve recovered it, Google will too relationship instructions for really to physically disable nan tag.

Over nan years, Bluetooth trackers personification been progressively misused. Domestic abusers and stalkers have, for example, utilized it to support tabs connected victims, pinch 1 group action suit claiming AirTag stalking had contributed to “multiple murders.” In response, Apple and Google personification made various efforts to combat stalking, including an announcement earlier this twelvemonth indicating support for a caller manufacture specification, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, that useful connected immoderate iOS and Android.